There are 6 million people across the UK are living in furniture poverty.
Charity Link provides life-changing essential items to people and children facing financial hardship across Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.
Due to Charity Link's unique way of working, untapping funds from charitable trusts, every £10 that is donated provides £50 of essential items. Therefore £6,000 would provide £30,000 of essential items to help approximately 100 households. This could be a total of 112 items including:
- 29 Washing Machines
- 29 Cookers
- 26 Beds
- 17 Fridge Freezers
- 11 clothing Vouchers
Whilst our support provides immediate relief, we know that it also has a long-lasting positive impact on the people we help. It improves quality of daily life, self-esteem and confidence in the future, helps people to make their home liveable, and reduces stress and anxiety.
Our project supports financial wellbeing
Our work has a massive impact on financial wellbeing. Through the provision of essential items it means the people we support are financially better off in the long-term. They are no longer needing to use an expensive launderette (and the travel costs to get there) now they have a washing machine, they are no longer needing to buy fresh food everyday now they can store food in their fridge freezer, and they no longer need to buy expensive (and unhealthy) ready meals now they have a cooker.
The stress and anxiety of living in furniture poverty can also impact their mental and physical health and their ability to find work. With some stresses and worries reduced through our support, it can allow people to take positive steps to seek work, education and volunteering opportunities to increase their skills and feel more confident in finding long-term work and a sustainable and regular income.
Furthermore, through our own research, via a survey to the referral agencies we work with, we know that if our services were not available, 90 per cent of the people we support would not be able to get the items they so desperately need. When asked what they would do instead, 60 per cent said they would go on without the items and 40 per cent would get into to debt to buy the items themselves. Debt exacerbates financial hardship and creates a further downward spiral for already vulnerable families and individuals. Thus our work has a strong focus on debt prevention and promoting financial resilience, sustainability and wellbeing.
Many of us are lucky enough to take these household items for granted, but for those who are currently living without, life is a constant struggle.
The need for our services is incredibly high at the moment and we cannot continue to help as many people in need without your support.
A donation of any size will make massive difference to the people and children we support.