Families and poverty

In November 2022 we launched our ‘Family Action Fund’ grant programme to support families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

We wanted to be able to provide practical support to families as quickly as possible and disinvested some of our own funds to be able to do so, match funding this with corporate partners including a significant gift from CVC. We distributed £200 grants in the form of supermarket vouchers to 2,500 vulnerable families through our services and 31 partner organisations, providing a lifeline to people struggling with food insecurity.

We know many families struggle with the additional financial and emotional pressures of the festive season.

91% of staff who applied for grants for families think that the grant has helped families to feel more positive about the future

81%

Due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, we knew many families who were already struggling were having to make impossible decisions, such as whether to heat their home, purchase food or buy their children a present. Our ‘Make Theirs Magic’ campaign highlighted the needs of families and, through our Toy Appeal, provided children with a gift when otherwise they may have had nothing.

50%

11,733 of adults were expecting to be going without things such as food, heating and presents at Christmas because of the cost-of-living crisis

“Your fund has been a lifeline for some of our clients… [it has] helped them through some of the most difficult times in their lives. We do not have access to another fund like this.” presents of staff who have applied for a grant for a family they work with feel that the grant has prevented escalation of needs delivered in 2022 to the families we work with across 96 services, a 41% increase in requests for presents from our services than in 2021

“The Toy Appeal takes the pressure off the parents… It allows them to say their children have gotten something. All the kids who received one just loved it… their faces lit up.”