We received a call from a teacher at a local primary school who was deeply concerned about a parent and customer of Community Housing. Her white goods were broken and she was struggling to feed her two children. The teacher had submitted an application to our Wellbeing Fund but was too concerned to simply rely on that.

After chatting to the teacher and getting as many facts as possible, we actioned the application to ensure the lady would be getting Aldi vouchers and as this lady resided on the Walshes, we contacted Velda McMillan, leader of the Walshes Community Centre Volunteers group.

Velda immediately sprang into action, sourcing a fridge freezer for the family and looking for a washing machine for them. She also provided them with ample food, ensuring a few treats were included for the children.

Within a short time, the family's Neighbourhood Coordinator was involved and a welfare check planned, in addition to our local CAB service due to contact the family to provide additional ongoing support with debts. 

The family will also be supported by the Tenancy Sustainability team to ensure they are getting the full income they are entitled to, particularly looking at disability benefit for one of the children. Plus, we have referred both the customer and her partner to Simply Limitless to support with their wellbeing, SENDIASS to gain special needs educational advice and Barnardo’s for support with their son's mental wellbeing.

Hopefully, all helping to make this family's lives a little easier.