Category Archives: Support Given
Apologies for the lack of posts – busy busy busy. Over the last 2 months, we have provided:-
Household items due to domestic violence; School uniform due to poverty, and children unable to attend school; a cotbed mattress due to child neglect; 12 weekly Food shops, reasons varying from being in temporary accommodation, poverty and child neglect; toys/nappies/moses basket for a 4 month old baby in poverty; a single bed for a child on the at risk register; 8no Birthday presents for children in poverty, who would otherwise have not received a birthday present; school uniform for a child due to Domestic Violence and abuse; Baby equipment for a newborn baby born into poverty; toys and toiletries for a large family in poverty; Beds, bedding, furniture for a family in poverty who have been re-housed; fridge freezer, washing machine, microwave for a family in emergency accommodation due to domestic violence; Uniform and foodshop for a family who escaped domestic violence and had to move to a new area; Clothing vouchers for young carers in poverty; Buggy, nappies, and food vouchers for a young mum in poverty; Nappies and clothing for young child who’s mum fled area due to threats to kill; Double bed for a parent sleeping on the floor; Clothing and bed for a child in need; Fridge freezer and bed for a family in poverty; a bed for a child who has left the care system; Double bed for a family in crisis; Curtains for a family who have escaped domestic violence and lived in fear; nappies, food, and baby milk for a baby at risk; Baby milk for a baby living in temporary accommodation; a Stairgate for safeguarding reasons; a folding bed for a mum living in temporary accommodation; a microwave, toys and baby bouncer for a baby who’s mum had fled domestic violence; mattress protectors, microwave and clothing for a family in poverty; a moses basket, sheets, nappies, and baby clothes for a referral from a Safeguarding Midwife; Double bed for a dad who left a refuge; Kitchen equipment, bedding, towels & hoover for a family who had been homeless; Fridge Freezer for a family who had fled domestic violence; School shoes for two children in poverty; Duvet for a young dad who has been housed; Clothing for child due to neglect – (parent’s substance abuse) and Toys and clothing for children being safeguarded.
We have also received referrals for hundreds of children for Christmas gifts – these are children who would otherwise go without a gift on Christmas morning.
As most of you will be aware; two of us run this charity in our spare time; so funding is essential for us to keep going. We receive no Government or Council funding at all. The food shops cost around £100 per family; and you can see above how many we have provided. If anyone can sponsor us; hold a fundraising event etc – this will enable us to carry on through 2023.
Thank you to all our supporters – both individuals and Companies – you know who you are!!
Poverty Getting Worse for Local Families
2022 has already brought a huge increase in poverty for many families. In February, we provided:-
18 weekly food shops – reasons range from poverty, covid health issues, mental health, children in need, sexual abuse (had to move area with very little). cap in benefits
A CD player – for a child with special needs
3 Fridge Freezers – reasons range from poverty, domestic violence, and moved from a hostel
2 Washing Machines – reasons range from cancer diagnosis (causing poverty due to not working) and a family leaving the refuge
Toys & Games – for a child who had come out of care back to their parent
School shoes for a child in poverty
A dehumidifier – for a family in temporary accommodation and had a child with health needs
14 mattresses – reasons range from domestic violence, recent bereavement, recently homelessness, poverty
2 x Double Beds – Due to poverty
Bedding – reasons range from poverty, neglect, abuse and domestic violence
Clothing for a teenager in poverty
Single Bed – child sleeping on the floor
Toiletries – a family in poverty, teenagers had no toiletry products
Hoover – family in poverty, and a family who had been through domestic violence
A toddler bed for a family in poverty (child sleeping on mattress with parent on the floor)
3 sets of bunks beds – reasons due to poverty, domestic violence and neglect
Toddler clothing – following domestic violence, had to flee area
Baby Cot, bedding and sleep grow bags – For a baby living with young parent in assisted living
Stairgates – Due to neglect and poverty
Cot bed – for a family who’s toddler child was still sleeping in a cot
We wouldn’t be able to provide this service without ongoing support from all the local families and Companies, and we thank you so much!!!
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The Must Have Children’s Book
Nikki Cadby from Rustic & Retro Cakery has always supported us with cakes and fundraisers. We are proud to be able to share some support for her. She featured in this weeks “Local Trader of the Week” in Bournemouth Echo, and is currently promoting the fantastic children’s book written by her Therapist, aimed at helping children understand their emotions and how they deal with different situations in their lives.
One of our youngest volunteers (Anna’s granddaughter Beatrix) has a copy of the book, and can’t wait to start reading it, and tucking into the cakes!!
Take a look at the link for purchasing the book; and also the raffle being held by Nikki (Link further down our page).
Baby Bank Shocking Statistics
New Year – Same Problems
It’s been a tough few years for local families, and this is sadly continuing into 2022. With Covid and an increase in unemployment, mental health, domestic violence, utility bills etc, it has had a huge impact.
Over the last few weeks, we have provided the following:-
Mattress for a child sleeping on the floor (Mental health/poverty)
Food shop for a family unable to afford this due to high heating costs
A big increase in referrals from DWP, Universal Credits and desperate parents – requesting food/beds etc
Food shop for a family with a special needs child and no food in the cupboard
A baby monitor for a mum about to be made homeless, with a newborn
Cot, mattress and bedding for a child with special needs who had destroyed theirs and was sleeping on a broken cot base
A door monitor and personal alarms for a parent and child who had been through domestic violence
Food shop for a family who had all been self isolating due to covid and had no money for food
A family who had no gas or electric on their pay meter, no food and no school shoes. We provided a large food shop and shoes so they are now able to attend school
A fridge freezer for a family who had been through domestic violence and were re-homed with no fridge/freezer provided
A cotbed for a child still sleeping in a moses basket due to poverty
Stairgates and baby items – due to a home being smashed up by a family member and these items being destroyed
Food and essential toiletries to a family who were struggling to pay their bills
A birthday gift for a child who had been through domestic violence and parent had no access to funds
We are so grateful to you all for supporting us. We currently have limited availability for donations – so will ask for specific items on here if they are required.
If you are able to organise fundraisers for us through your workplace etc, this would be amazing – two of us run the charity in our spare time, so every £1 really does make a huge difference. THANK YOU
Mission Christmas Makes Christmas Happen
With the continued support of Wave 105 Mission Christmas and other local Companies and individuals, we fulfilled all Christmas gift referrals received. These were purely for children who would otherwise go without a gift. Reasons varied from children living in poverty, or who have been subject to neglect, abuse, or been through domestic violence.
Some of the feedback we received – “I just wanted to say a big thank you, I gave out all the Christmas presents last week to the vulnerable families, they were all so grateful and wanted me to pass on their appreciation, so thank you, it really does make a huge difference to these families “
“I am wondering if you can help with any gifts for a toddler and his baby sister. The family have recently been evicted (through no fault of their own) and their benefits have been delayed due to an administrative error. They are currently living in a B&B”
“I know this is late notice before Christmas but this family has only just been allocated to me and they are really struggling financially and have written off Christmas this year. I was hoping we could maybe give them something so they could still have a Christmas meal and gifts”
Without all this support, we wouldn’t be able to provide for struggling families in our local area – so THANK YOU!!!
Hospital Staff Helping Children in Poverty
Rowena – Mrs Christmas
The lovely Rowena Stewart is doing another “Christmas Present Appeal” for us again this year. Last year, everyone was so generous, and the gifts were so very well received by children in poverty in our local area. These gifts go to children who would otherwise go without a present on Christmas morning, so every purchase makes a massive difference. Thank you Rowena, and all the lovely friends and supporters who purchase gifts.
This is the Amazon Wishlist that Rowena has made – please make a purchase, however small, and we will start gifting them shortly through referrals from Social Workers, Police Liaison Officers, Pastoral Care Workers, Health Visitors etc.
BUSY YEAR!
We are still busy supporting local families. This year has been extremely busy, and with the addition of lockdown and covid issues, this has meant an increased need for food shops and general support for these families.
It has also been a busy year for us personally – with family illness, a wedding, a house move, grandchildren etc ! So apologies for the lack of updates
We appreciate your continued support, and are now in the throws of sorting Christmas referrals for the families struggling again this year.
Belated Update for 2021 – We have continued running all through Lockdown!
Huge apologies for the lack of updates – it has been busy both with the charity and for us at home. Referrals are requested from Social Workers, Police Liaison Officers, School Pastoral Care Workers, Midwife, Refuge Workers etc.
The reason for the referral ranges from children under child protection, poverty, covid related issues, neglect, mental health & domestic violence.
Since January, we have provided the following:-
26 weekly food shops, 6 birthday gifts, 4 stairgates, belated Christmas gifts for two families (we weren’t made aware of their plight until after Christmas), 3 pushchairs, a mobile phone for a domestic violence referral, so mum could contact people, 3 lots of bedding, 9 single beds for children, 4 double beds, 4 cots, 5 washing machines (most of these cases were from children being found in filthy conditions, and dirty clothes), provided clothing for 5 families, 5 hoovers (these are essential when children are under child protection, as helps the parent keep the home clean), 2 highchairs, toys for 6 families, as children had nothing to play with, 8 lots of baby equipment for setting up mum for their newborn (most of these were from asylum seekers and babies born into this environment), 2 prams, school trousers to enable a child to start back at school, 2 fridge freezers for families moving into a new home after fleeing domestic violence
We are so grateful to everyone who supports us, both local companies who support us financially, and local people who donate items. We currently have a lot of items in storage, so will call out for things if we are in need of them.
THANK YOU