DABD, Community Fridge - Widening our Focus

Who are we?

Use this space to give your audience a friendly introduction to your organisation. 

By way of brief background, the Disablement Association of Barking & Dagenham (DABD) is a registered charity that provides essential support & services across Greater London and have done so for nearly 70 years. We know that people may face barriers in life for several reasons – whether it is disability (physical and sensory), unemployment, poverty, isolation, poor health and lack of work or training. Our aim is to ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities, be it work, benefits, training, transport, or social activities to help them live an independent life. 

Community impact

It’s important to explain the wider impact of your organisation for the whole community, who does it benefit and why?

Our support extends to pretty much anyone who needs our help with a focus on disadvantaged children, young adults, the elderly, disabled and the vulnerable people of all ages and off course their families and carers as well. Our services support people who are regularly excluded from opportunities due to their disabilities or circumstances (due to low skill/education levels) and BAMER communities (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic & Refugee) whom may find themselves on the periphery of the community and experiencing isolation. 

The support that we offer includes: Benefits & Financial Advice, Support into Education, Skills & Employment (designed to help & empower people to get into/or back to work), Personal Care/enabling for disabled people (24h service) & Transportation (for all people of ages with limited mobility & our ‘Dial a Wheelchair’ service for people who need improved mobility) Community Development (children, young people, disabled, elderly social and skills clubs) & Volunteering Opportunities for the local community, to make a difference to other people’s lives whilst developing their own skills. 

Although we cover many London Boroughs (currently 8), the focus of our work tends to be around the Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge geographic stamp.

Why are we crowdfunding?

This is where you should explain the reason you need to raise money. How is your organisation or community impacted by the cost of living crisis?

As a long standing and community focused charity, we have recently set-up a self-funded Community Fridge (foodbank) within the heart of our borough (London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - LBBD). Our borough operates within an area of high deprivation and intense challenges, with the cost-of-living crisis only worsening issues that already exist.

Our residents use our Community Fridge for a number of reasons. For example, we have seen an up-tick in referrals due to some form of problem with a benefit payment. Some of this was people whose benefit payment was delayed; others were due to changes in benefits. Most others are a result of what we might think of as classic signs of poverty, like low incomes, debt and homelessness. The remaining referrals were due to other reasons like sickness or domestic abuse.

Pre-cost of living crisis, our referrals were due to some form of problem with a benefit payment. Some of this was people whose benefit payment was delayed; others were due to changes in benefits. The bulk, however, were due to what we might think of as classic signs of poverty, like low incomes, debt and homelessness. The remaining referrals were due to other reasons like sickness or domestic abuse.

At DABD, we provide emergency food & drink parcels to help people who are temporarily unable to provide for themselves

We want to create a more robust/less intrusive referral and support process to ensure that anyone applying for support from our Community Fridge is supported in a timely, efficient, and sensitive manner. From the initial approach, to walking away with a bag of food & drink to feed themselves and their families. We also want to create a library of healthy and nutritional eating guides that are budget focused, user-friendly & easy to replicate.

 

How we’ll spend the money raised

It’s important to be transparent about how you plan to spend the money you raise. Your audience will be more likely to make a pledge if they can see how their donation will help. 

At DABD, we provide emergency food & drink parcels to help people who are temporarily unable to provide for themselves

We want to create a more robust/less intrusive referral and support process to ensure that anyone applying for support from our Community Fridge is supported in a timely, efficient, and sensitive manner. From the initial approach, to walking away with a bag of food & drink to feed themselves and their families. We also want to create a library of healthy and nutritional eating guides that are budget focused, user-friendly & easy to replicate.

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