500 together

You may remember back in January (donation 236) we bought a sewing machine overlocker for an Afghan chat & sewing group for Refugee women. They were planning to have a pop up shop as part of Refugee Week to sell clothes made using Afghan fabrics, embroidery, etc. Our member who nominated them got in touch to tell us how useful the overlocker has been and how absolutely treasured it is. The group was successful in having an exhibition/pop-up shop in Sheffield for Refugee week in June and the women involved in the project gathered together again for the occasion. Our member asked if we could help pay for a meal for them all. We liked the idea of helping them come together to celebrate their work and were pleased to give £150 for the 25 women to share a meal together. We hope it was a big success.

One of our members asked if we might be able to support the Sheffield Family Holiday Fund - a local charity which provides much needed holidays and short breaks for local families facing adversity. The charity works closely with community partners to identify appropriate families, many of whom are navigating illness, disability, bereavement, domestic abuse, or homelessness. Typical breaks include traditional seaside destinations including Cleethorpes, Filey, and Butlins in Skegness, as well as an annual festive trip to the Lyceum Theatre for the Christmas pantomime. In 2025 alone, the charity sent 221 individuals (57 families, including 113 children) away for a break. Referrals come from frontline services, with 22% of support going to young carers, 19% to families raising a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and 19% to those facing homelessness. We spoke to the charity to see if we could help fund a family to get away on a break. At this time of year when many of us are ...

A year ago, with donation 225, we helped a Hungarian man being supported by a member involved with Waythrough, a charity which offers free, confidential support for mental health, alcohol, drugs, housing and related areas. It was one of our smallest donations - £100 - which paid for him to take a Level 4 accredited computer course run by the Open University. We were pleased to hear how well he has done and have been asked if we could offer a little bit more help as he seeks to further his chances for employment . We have sent a further £170 to pay for him to get his Hungarian Qualifications changed to UK ones. He is on the lowest money of £400 a month UC and so is really struggling to afford to save anything towards this. We are really happy to help and understand these qualifications will go a long way to helping him find employment. He is clearly a very hard working and determined individual and we wish him the very best.

We were asked if we could help buy a bed for someone being supported by one of our members. She is a care leaver, who has been a victim of domestic abuse. She is heavily pregnant and is sleeping on an airbed. Her support worker asked us for help and of course we were very happy to be able to step in and send £470 to help get a bed frame and mattress. Another great nomination and one we could offer immediate funds for to avoid any delay in getting the help where it was needed.

One of our members asked if we could help a single mum who has a child suffering with respiratory problems due to mould and damp in their home and who also has her terminally ill mum living with them. They told us about the constant battle they have been having with the council to organise for either some radical work to be done on the house or to re-house the family. With negotiation and determination, they have finally managed to get the housing department to take their situation seriously. Substantial repair work needs to be done to the house , but it is not viable for the 3 of them to live amid the disruption, so they are being moved to another 2 bedroom house . Unfortunately, their cooker was condemned so they will not be able to take it with them and their settee will not fit in the smaller home (it also smells fusty due to the current living conditions). We have been asked to send £500 to put towards a cooker and a smaller settee to fit their new living room - which will al...