500 together

  This weekend we can tell you about our 94th donation, which has gone to a local family, whose plight was brought to our attention by one of our lovely members who volunteers at a food bank. She told us that whilst this family was attending their community grocery store someone smashed her back car windscreen. The police attended, but nobody saw anything and nothing was taken so it would just be put down as malicious vandalism.  It is horrific to imagine that whilst they were visiting a food bank, the family - a working single mum and her 2 kids -  suddenly found themselves with their much needed car out of action and absolutely no money available to fix it.  At the time the police advised the nature of the incident might mean they weren’t covered by their insurance, adding to their worries. We obviously were keen to help, and thankfully by the time we spoke to the lady, her insurance had agreed she ‘just’ had to pay the excess.  But as she ...

This week we can tell you about donation 93.  One of our members asked if we might be able to help out her friend and colleague, who confided that she had recently fled domestic abuse with her 3 year old daughter and pet dog.  For her safety, we want to maintain her anonymity, so we will call her H.   H initially moved into a relative’s home, but had found a privately rented, furnished accommodation to resettle in. However, as her ex-partner had always had control of finances she had no money herself, beyond wages from a part time job, which were going towards rent, childcare and food. With her ex partner denying access to any of their household items, she was moving into her new home with very little, and financially unable to purchase anything to help her and her young daughter settle in.   We spoke to H, and it was clear what an impact us sending her £500 would have, as she could go out that day to buy household goods - and in particular new blinds ...

With donation 92 we have helped another woman, known as S, who is starting out in new accommodation after a period spent in the women’s refuge. S is in receipt of Universal Credit, but has no savings and moved into her new flat with nothing but a few belongings. To make her empty property more comfortable she really needed to get some carpets and we were pleased to be able to help with £500 towards them. The new carpets have made such a difference to her new home. We wish her well as she settles into her new safe space.