Reed Smith's 150 Voices project has won the 2011 Homeless Link Michael Whippman Award.

The award focused on finding the best example of an existing campaign or initiative using social media to raise the profile of homeless people and homelessness amongst the public, broaden the public's understanding of homelessness and involve homeless people and empower them to make a contribution. Chosen by the public from six finalists, 150 Voices was judged to be the project that best achieved these goals.

Reed Smith collaborated with Providence Row (a homelessness charity) on the 150 Voices project, which aimed to capture the stories of the 150 homeless people who attend Providence Row through photography and film, and give them a voice via the project's website and public exhibition. Reed Smith funded the project and sent volunteers to assist with the filming and photography.

Project Manager at Providence Row, Steve Huddleston, said, "We are thrilled that 150 Voices has won this prestigious award. The project gives a voice to people that would otherwise not be heard and a chance for them to tell their stories. It also challenges stereotypes about homelessness and shows the public what it is really like to be homeless."

Reed Smith also supports Providence Row by running volunteer sessions at the Dellow Centre. The Dellow Centre is a drop-in legal clinic for the homeless clients of Providence Row. These clients bring a wide range of legal problems which can include complex eviction or employment claims to practical advice and filling in of forms.

Sarah Ramwell, Reed Smith's Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, commented:

"We are very proud of the 150 voices project and are delighted it has won this award. The project highlighted the stories of a socially excluded group of people and gave our volunteers the chance to use their creative skills to help this group tell their stories."

     ENDS

Note to Editors:
About Providence Row 
Please visit their website at http://www.providencerow.org.uk/

About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global law firm, with 23 offices and more than 1,600 lawyers in offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

For further information please contact Jeyda Star (PR Manager EME) on +44 (0)20 3116 2571.