137 - Donation to the local charity Family Voices - October 2023

Donation 137 goes to an incredible local charity Family Voice, who work with women in the Sharrow, Lowfield and Nether Edge area.


Since COVID Family Voice have learnt how to give benefits and housing advice - helping local BAME women with financial inclusivity and helping them live in better conditions. During COVID they were offered funding to cope with the increase in their work, especially whilst other services were closed or changing. This funding allowed them to support isolated women more holistically, build more trust and help prevent further crises. 


Family Voice offers a range of free classes (including English language, exercise, driving theory, cooking) and when women come to these classes they also now get access to one to one support. This means Family Voice can have a bigger positive impact on their lives - especially for the many women who do not have the confidence to go elsewhere for support. 


Demand for their services continues to increase, and women are suffering more  from the Cost of Living Crisis, especially as we go into winter. The support Family Voice offers can help people in ways that lasts for years, but with increased demand comes increased costs.  They told us that Pre-Covid funding bids were roughly 8 applications for each pot of money.  Now, with the rise in demand, it is about 28 applications per pot of money. This means they have to write at least 3 times as many bids to get a chance of getting the funding they need - taking up a lot of precious staff time. 


We applaud the tremendous work the team at Family Voice do, and are only too pleased to have been able to send them £500 to help fund this vital one to one Advice service, helping them support local women who face complex, stacked traumas and disadvantages.


Thank you all for enabling us to make this donation, which we know will have a lasting effect for many families.

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