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Please note: Once reopened, we will take applications on behalf of individuals from referring organisations. We kindly request that clients are not given our direct number to apply for a grant or to follow up on the progress of their application, as we will communicate this via the referring organisation.
This fund is currently closed due to high demand. We will update this page once it opens up again.
Sometimes the smallest change can have the biggest impact in someone’s life.
For many people, trapped in a cycle of poor housing, unemployment and poverty, solving the immediate problem can be the first step in turning their life around. That’s where our Everyday Changes Fund comes in.
This programme provides real solutions that are designed to have immediate impact but make a lasting difference to people’s everyday lives. Many of these solutions are things we take for granted – cooking equipment, bedding, carpets – however, we know, for those receiving these items, these small actions are essential in helping them achieve what they know they’re capable of.
Since 2011, we have seen a steady increase in the number of applications as austerity bites, and in both 2014 and 2015, we made over 500 grants to individuals, compared to some 300 grants made in 2012. In 2015, we made 548 individual grants totalling £91,511 – an average grant of £166 per application.
Grants are made available via health visitors, social workers, voluntary sector agencies, etc. working with people who are in need. In this way we are able to ensure that only those in the greatest need have access to the fund. We are able to provide support across Greater Merseyside.
The majority of grants tend to be for essential, everyday items – the things that, perhaps, we all take for granted – such as cookers, washing machines etc. We have, though, provided other items such as emergency nursery places, medical equipment, personal safety items, debt relief orders etc.
Referrals from our partners show that more and more people are struggling to simply make ends meet. For many people, the impact of living in poverty is exacerbated by their ill health and many applications are for people suffering from either physical or stress related illnesses. Single parents, many of whom have fled domestic violence, are also supported as are older, isolated residents.
We can’t continue to provide these solutions without your support. It’s simple – the more money donated to our Everyday Changes Fund the more people we can help.