Over £230,000 of supermarket vouchers, 640 carpets, 835 white goods, 452 vouchers to provide beds and furniture…just some of the support that relieved customers of Platform Housing Group have received since April 2021 from the Wellbeing Fund as it hits £1million allocation.
As the pandemic took hold, it became obvious the impact it was going to have on many people’s lives and to try and help combat this, Platform Housing Group’s Board committed £1.4million for 2021 to a special fund that gives fast and flexible support to customers and communities during these challenging times.
Over the last 8 months the fund has helped customers, partners and other organisations to make applications for the wider benefit of Platform communities in areas such as tackling food, fuel and bed poverty, domestic abuse, improving community safety and wellbeing, promoting community cohesion and digital inclusion.
In addition to supporting customer’s household needs, communities are also receiving support with £108,500 allocated and used on special projects from providing outdoor furniture in communal areas for residents to safely socialise, to supporting food banks, school projects, and community centres.
Over £1million of the fund so far has helped to cover the cost of food, essential items such as school uniforms, energy and utility costs as well as helping to bridge the gap between a benefit application and first payment. The fund is flexible and is designed to recognise that customers have many needs that go beyond our homes. Which is why it also provides financial support for local community partners, groups and organisations to help with their invaluable work to deliver a host of projects and local events within our neighbourhoods and communities.
One of the families that have benefited from the Wellbeing Fund is a customer, wanting to remain anonymous, who fled domestic violence and is currently on the kidney transplant list and also has a brain tumour. It was important to her to start building her and her daughters lives again. £500 from the Wellbeing Fund helped her into training, and she is working hard with her goal of working in a job where she’s able to support others suffering ill health, as a therapist.
She said: “I am currently doing the level 4 training which you so kindly helped me secure and it’s going fantastically. It’s already pretty life changing and I’m realising my dreams and potential. In 20 months’ time I will hopefully be employed as a counsellor.
All this whilst now on daily dialysis and awaiting life changing surgery.
My daughter has the same genetic disease and I’m showing her that it does not limit you or define you. Which is an incredible lesson amongst all the challenges of being in kidney failure /single mum. It gives me such hope for the future for a job that can provide financially and a vocation to devote my career too. It’s been a journey so far.
I will forever be grateful for your support at Platform Housing. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.”
Chief Operations Officer for Platform, Marion Duffy said: “The last 12 months have reminded us about the power of communities and how they can pull together in times of crisis to support those most in need. It’s fantastic to see how the Wellbeing Fund has been able to support so many people in our communities and enabled partners to continue their great work.
“We want all our customers to feel that we are here to support them and to be part of our thriving local communities and we’re pleased to have been a part of this with the fund making a huge difference to customers and communities who need our help and support.”
