500 together

D onation 161. For the family’s safety we have been asked to keep details light on this occasion.  We have given £500 to a single mother of 2 in the asylum system to allow her to pay for life-changing legal costs and a solicitor in supporting a family reunion and gaining citizenship for her children.  We know the money donated has been incredibly beneficial for her family and she & her nominator send huge thanks to 500 together for providing this support! 

Donation 160 has allowed us to send £500 to Ben's Centre - a  fabulous local charity that aims to provide a safe space and an open hand to those who suffer through substance misuse and its associated barriers.  They began as a Day Centre for individuals with alcohol misuse, however, over the years have evolved and in addition to the Day Centre, they now run tenancy support, training and education programs as well as social and hobby groups from the centre.  They also run daily outreach to get to individuals needing support on the streets of Sheffield.   https://www.benscentre.org A few weeks ago they ran an urgent appeal, having completely run out of sleeping bags, which meant having to turn down requests from rough sleeping clients who they knew really needed one.  We are pleased to have been able to send £500 to allow them to build their stocks back up.   Ben's Centre have told us how these sleeping bags go a really long way in helping rough sleeping clients to stay  warm, ge

With donation 159 we are pleased to have been able to help a lady and her young daughter who have fled an abusive relationship, leaving literally everything she has behind and now unable to access any belongings. They have had to leave her local community in fear that the child will be taken. She has had some help from friends to set up in a new location and  has done as much as possible via donations / second hand but our member asked if we could send £500 to help purchase beds and mattresses as inevitably her finances are incredibly stretched.    We were only too happy to help and wish them both all the very best 

This week we are back to tell you about donation 158, which has allowed us to support a  Sheffield single parent with three children, all of whom have additional needs.  One of the children has not been able to go to school as the environment is so challenging for them and the relationship with school has broken down. This child is entitled to free school meals but hasn't been able to access them while at home. The family income has been impacted and they’ve had to heat the house more than they otherwise would have done in the last 6 months. Our donation is giving the family a bit of breathing space financially while they carry on working to get access to education, and support within education, for all of them. We wish them all the best from 500 Together. We are pleased we are able to make these regular donations to families and local organisations, thanks to your continued support in terms of weekly contributions and thoughtful nominations. 

A big thanks to our member who told us about  Mondo Radio, a community radio station and workshop/event space based in Sheffield. It is a grassroots organisation that aims to address the underrepresentation of marginalised individuals and communities in the local music industry. Mondo Radio operates on a volunteer-led basis, with a committee of dedicated individuals overseeing its operations. The station has a team of 60+ resident DJs and producers who assist in the day-to-day activities. Mondo Radio also organises various events and workshops, contributing to the development of the music scene in Sheffield. The £500 will go towards funding studio upgrades, namely camera/video recording equipment which will allow the organisation to reach a bigger new audience through online audiovisual content which will allow the organisation to reach a younger audience, whose main point of contact with the online works is through audiovisual content. This will mean that their other activities includ

This week we can tell you about donation 156, which has gone to A and her young daughter. After spending some time in a women's refuge, they have been living in temporary accommodation, waiting to be allocated council housing.  This has finally happened, but as is so often the case, the house they are expected to move into is unfurnished and uncarpeted.  We were able to put A in touch with some charities who could help her source some furniture and apply for funds to get carpets and she worked hard to do as much as she could to set up her new home, but asked if we could help her with the cost of getting blinds, as well as some home essentials, like an iron, ironing board and vacuum cleaner.  We were pleased to be able to send her £500 towards these items.   A has asked us to send her thanks to you all for supporting her and helping her and her daughter settle into their new home. We wish them all the best and as always feel very privileged to have been able to help.