500 together

With donation 224 we have been able to support someone nominated by one of our members who works at a Darnall Wellbeing - a local community health organisation. Our member told us about E - a lady who has health struggles and is housebound,  unable to leave her property on her own because she has a hand manual wheelchair and cannot self push herself.  She does not feel the care she receives is adequate for her needs and like so many people, she is frustrated with the available services, being sent from door to door repeating the same things. Due to this E suffers from low mood, anxiety and social isolation.  E has now sent a PIP application but it can take up to 6 months for PIP claims to conclude and she may not be successful. Due to the complexity of her multiple diagnosis, there are continuous delays within the NHS, who are often unable to find suitable appointment times fitting in with the client...

  With our latest donation we have helped a family - a parent and 2 adult children, one of whom has a disability - who are living in financial hardship, with significant debts.    They are receiving advice and working with a debt charity to get on top of this, but despite 2 of the family being in work there just isn't any money left to put aside for any larger household items.   St Vincents were recently able to provide 2 single beds, but this left the 3rd adult on a blow up mattress, which she was struggling on, and they were also in need of a chest freezer. Our member, who is involved with the organisation supporting them, asked if we could send £390, which would pay for a single divan bed and mattress as well as a freezer. Of course we were happy to help. As always, we send out a big thank you to you all for continuing to support us at 500 together.    We do believe that now more than ever, our small acts of collective kindness are so valuable - not just...

  With the new school year starting, one of our members asked if we could help with the expense of buying new uniforms for a family's 4 children.  In addition their oven has recently broken, so we have sent £500 to help them replace the oven and get the children kitted out for school. We know how expensive even the most basic school uniforms can be, but how important having the right clothing is for children's self esteem and confidence at school.  We were pleased to be able to help and send the family our very best wishes. Thank you as ever for continuing to support us.  It means such a lot to be able to step in and help when we get nominations like this one.  Keep sending in the nominations.  We are ready to help wherever we can.

  Last year we made a donation to assist with the Sheffield women’s rough sleeping census that was run by Solace Women’s Aid. The census is designed to collect information about women who experience very hidden and high risk forms of homelessness such as rough sleeping.   It is not easy to reach these women, who are extremely marginalised and vulnerable - yet it is vital to encourage them to take part.  The charities Shelter,  Framework, SWWOP, Chocolate Box, IDAS and other  services are involved in the survey and experience has proven that offering a care pack for the women encourages more engagement. This year the census will take place  between  22  -  28  September 2025.   The organisers feel it is vital to gather this data to have a clearer picture of the issue within Sheffield and data will go towards a national report.  Findings relating to Sheffield are also shared with local commissioners within Sheffield Cit...

With donation   220   we have made a small contribution towards SCCCC (Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care) as they celebrate 60 years of their service supporting older people experiencing isolation and loneliness.   The work they do to offer a helping hand to older people when they need it most is often life changing.  Loneliness can affect both mental and physical health, and the SCCCC volunteers visit vulnerable people in their homes for a friendly chat and a cup of tea.   They can step in when people are in hospital, being discharged or are at home, acting as a vital link between the NHS and the community, providing emotional and practical support through a range of free services.   To mark their anniversary, SCCCC is holding an event for over 200 people, many of whom live alone or experience significant loneliness. This will give them the chance to enjoy afternoon tea and live entertainment, and more importantly, a chance to connect...

  One of our members asked if we could support a client they are supporting through a local charity. The lady, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, has moved into a new council home after a period of sofa-surfing following the loss of her larger home. She has issues with hoarding and the process of downsizing has left her with an overwhelming amount of possessions in a storage unit. She also is low on funds at the moment from furnishing her new property, so she does not yet have a cooker and is utilising the local foodbank for easy meal options. Her mental health is suffering and she needs some professional help to sensitively address her hoarding disorder so that she can sort out her things and remove the need for her to be paying for storage. . We were asked if we could support with a £500 donation, which would be used to help with the decluttering service and also pay for a new oven/hob to allow her to be able to cook her own meals again in her own home. Both of these w...