Caught Between the Cladding Crisis and Recovery

Aim

Any donations will give my sister Donna breathing space while she recovers from her injuries and continue fighting the cladding crisis

From Donna.

I never imagined I would be asking for help, but after years of doing everything I could to stay afloat, I have reached a point where I can't do it alone.

In 2021, I discovered by chance that the block containing my flat had unsafe fire cladding. I only found out because I was trying to remortgage after my fixed-rate deal ended. No one had informed the leaseholders. Instead, I was told by a mortgage broker that no lender would offer me a mortgage because of the cladding.

That single conversation changed my life.

Since then, I have been trapped. Unable to move to another lender, I have had no choice but to remain with my existing mortgage provider, leaving me unable to access better rates when interest rates rose. At one point, my monthly mortgage payments increased by £850, and my latest remortgage came with an additional £10,000 fee simply because I had no alternative.

To keep up with ever-increasing service charges and safety-related costs, I have had to borrow against my mortgage, adding around £48,000 to my debt.

The financial burden has been relentless. My service charges have quadrupled, and leaseholders continue to receive demands for work that often has nothing to do with their own homes. I have been billed towards replacing balconies I don't even have, as my flat is on the ground floor, along with contributions towards fire doors and windows in other flats, despite my own already meeting fire safety standards.

Building insurance has increased dramatically since the cladding was discovered, and leaseholders have also had to fund expensive measures such as 24-hour waking watch patrols while we wait for remediation work to be completed.

For four years, I have lived with constant uncertainty, sleepless nights, panic attacks and overwhelming stress. Despite repeatedly questioning many of these charges, my concerns have largely gone unanswered while demands, penalties and threats of legal action continue to arrive.

Then, just as I was trying to keep my head above water, disaster struck again.

I suffered a serious accident outside work, leaving me with three fractures and severe nerve damage to my dominant hand. I required major surgery and face around twelve months of rehabilitation.

As a self-employed dog walker and pet sitter, my hands are my livelihood. I currently cannot walk dogs safely, drive as normal, or carry out much of the work that pays my bills. I have also had to give up riding my horse during my recovery, something that has been a huge emotional loss.

I have been incredibly fortunate that friends, family and some wonderful clients have stepped in to help where they can. Some clients have even paid for services I have been unable to provide, for which I will always be grateful. Their kindness has kept me going, but I am still losing hundreds of pounds every week while I recover.

To make matters worse, I cannot access financial support because my flat is treated as an asset, even though it is effectively impossible to sell while the cladding issues remain unresolved. It generates no meaningful income because of the escalating service charges and ongoing costs. On paper, I own an asset. In reality, I am trapped by it.

I am currently facing another disputed bill of almost £5,700 from the managing agents while trying to survive without my normal income. Every day brings fresh anxiety about how I will pay my bills, protect my business and avoid falling further into debt.

If you are able to help, your donation will give me breathing space while I recover from my injuries and continue fighting the financial consequences of the cladding crisis. Every contribution, no matter how small, will help cover essential living costs, disputed building charges and allow me the time I need to heal and return to work.

If you're unable to donate, simply sharing my story would mean the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can offer. It truly means more than words can say

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th September 2026 at 10:49am