It’s been a tough few years – a global pandemic followed by a cost-of-living crisis. For local people, many of whom were already living in fuel poverty, the current economic climate is having a devastating impact on their livelihoods.
Heart of Bucks manage a number of ‘crisis funds’ to help those most in need by making direct payments to households, to support their individual needs. In the last two years we have responded to these needs by awarding over 1,300 individual grants, totalling over £1m across Buckinghamshire, directly to local people.
The funding has provided much-needed financial assistance to those who have lost their jobs, are unable to pay bills and facing eviction or just struggling to make ends meet due to rising costs. It has also been used to support refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine who have settled in our county.
We are fortunate to live in a county full of caring and generous individuals, who wish to help those less well-off than themselves. The support of these people, combined with a collaborative charity sector and public sector has enabled a swift reaction to emergencies affecting local people and refugees settled in our county. We are grateful for the support of residents, local charitable trusts, and the close partnership with Buckinghamshire Council and frontline charities, enabling us to reach deep into our county and support those experiencing the most challenging situations imaginable.
One person recently supported by a crisis grant was a young care leaver in full-time education whose Universal Credit stopped when he began working during the summer. He then struggled to afford his basic living costs when returning to college, due to the six week wait for his Universal Credit to be re-established. A crisis grant of £900 was awarded to cover two months of living costs.
After receiving the funding the young person said:
“It helped me a lot – I didn’t know how I was going to manage my bills and rent and you came into my life and sorted this out for me. My anxiety went down and I am able to concentrate on my college work, thank you.”
To find out more about how you can support the work of Heart of Bucks across Buckinghamshire please get in touch – giving@heartofbucks.org | 01296 330134.
