Olivia’s story Case study Barbara’s story Case study

When Olivia’s partner sadly suffered a stroke, the couple’s normal life quickly came crashing down around them.

Olivia, who works for a large furniture retailer, continued to work after her partner’s stroke, but also took on the role of being his carer.

The difficult situation was compounded further as Olivia’s partner could not access sickness benefits because he was selfemployed. With no sickness insurance to cover the shortfall, the couple were missing a large part of their usual household income, and it wasn’t long before they were struggling to manage.

Feeling the pressure mounting, Olivia shared their desperate situation with her employer, and they – aware of the financial grants we offer people in the trade – referred her to us.

On listening to Olivia’s situation, we awarded a crisis support grant funded by the Perring Legacy, which consisted of an initial payment followed by six weekly payments to help the couple through this period of uncertainty, allowing Olivia’s partner to focus on recuperating.

Olivia said: “When we saw no other way forward, The Furniture Makers’ Company was there to help us and take away the worry about my partner having to return to work before he was fully recovered. I can’t express our thanks enough.”

Jo Goga, welfare officer, said: “Olivia’s situation is an example of how life can quickly be disrupted when something unforeseen happens. On hearing her situation, Olivia’s employer recommended she contact us, knowing that we would be able to hopefully help her through it. We encourage more businesses to be like Olivia’s employer and not to hesitate in advising their employees to seek advice from us. We wish Olivia’s partner a full recovery and return to normal working hours very soon.”

For people living hand-to-mouth, an unexpected exceptional expense can completely derail their finances, which is what Barbara experienced when her boiler broke down.

Now retired, Barbara had worked as a sewing machinist and upholsterer for 45 years while raising two children single-handedly. Despite having paid off her mortgage, she struggled to get by solely on her state pension. While working, she had never had any spare income to put into a workplace pension and the advice she received at the time was that she shouldn’t bother.

When Barbara’s boiler broke down for the final time, she was left wondering how she’d afford to get a new one installed. After a visit to the local Citizens Advice, Barbara was signposted to Metropolitan Valley Housing, and their housing support worker referred her to us for a grant.

A grant was agreed within three days to cover the cost of a local company to remove the old boiler, fit a new boiler and replace some of the old radiators. Barbara was grateful for the grant, which means she can now enjoy hot water and reliable heating in her home for many years to come.

Barbara said: “Over the years, I have worked at some marvellous upholstery companies and have enjoyed being in the trade. I am absolutely thrilled that The Furniture Makers’ Company has been able to help me in this way. They may say that it is a ‘thank you’ for the years served, but I am the one who is extremely grateful for their kind, charitable support.”