Increasing the limit for requests for help
You may have noticed that the monetary limit for requests for help has increased on our website, which means that our local partners can now post requests up to the upper limit of £200 (instead of the previous £150). This is a decision we have recently made, with our Trustees, to make sure that we can continue to help individuals with the items that they need most.
Why?
With the rising cost of living in the UK we have been made aware that it is becoming increasingly difficult for our Advocates, and their recipients, to find larger items within the previous limit of £150.
Therefore, we have made the decision to increase the limit for requests to £200. However, as with our previous limit on requests, we ask our Advocates to only use this upper limit where absolutely necessary for specific larger items, such as cookers, washing machines and fridge freezers.
Although we have increased the upper limit for each request, one household is still able to have up to three requests. This means that we can enable our donors to help individuals and families in a crisis, but highlights that we're not an on-going financial support.
Alongside the guidelines around the upper limit we also have in place other guidelines on some items, and have increased or stipulated these where we feel necessary. We have placed reasonable limits for some specific items, such as £100 for a mobile phone or £75 for a microwave.
How do we keep track of these limits?
With the launch of our new website and back-end systems in June 2022, we were able to integrate some new processes. One of these processes is that each request posted by our local partners gets read by our staff team before it goes live onto the website. This enables us to question and, where needed, amend the amount or request. This process helps us to keep the system fair for every applicant, making sure all our guidelines are adhered to.
As we increase the limit on each request we're very thankful to all our donors, each giving what they can; whether meeting a need in full or giving towards a request. In 2022 the most popular amount donated was £50, which on its own wouldn't be sufficient to meet in full one of the requests on our website. That's what we love about Acts 435 - it is as people donate, alongside others, to the same need, that they can together support an individual in crisis. We are trusting that in spite of the cost of living crisis continuing to impact so many, our donors will still step up with us in generosity to continue to meet the needs of those seeking our help, even as we increase the maximum limit of our requests.
Give to an urgent need today!
The average time for a need to be fully funded is currently 9 days
£200 needed for a cooker
M is a single mum who has recently moved to a permanent council home and is in need of a cooker. Torch and others have already helped with decoration and flooring as M already has debt and the whole process has been quite traumatic. Consequently she is struggling with her mental health because of everything that has happened. Please can you help them with an electric cooker that would allow her to prepare proper meals for her daughter who has special needs.
£200 needed for a washing machine
X 's partner died two years ago at the age of thirty nine. He continues to struggle with both his physical and mental health. Recently his washing machine has stopped working. X has no funds to buy a new washing machine as he is currently unfit for work. Can you help?
£190 needed for a washing machine and cabinets
M is currently unwell. She has been home bound for a few months now. She unfortunately cannot work at the moment as the illness has made her immobile at the. Unfortunately her washing machine is broken and she needs help to replace it as she does not have money. She is also in need of 2 bedside cabinets.
£200 needed for food, travel and a phone
S is a single Mum, an asylum seeker, living in a hotel with her daughter. On arriving in the UK, she lived with her ex partner for 18 months and had to leave him because of Domestic violence. Before now she was accommodated in a Stella Maria Convent. Since moving into a hotel, living has become harder for her and her daughter. She needs your support for food, travel and a telephone. Your voucher donation will make a difference to their lives, reduce her anxiety and unhappiness
£200 needed for food and clothes
D is an asylum seeker living in a hotel with her family. This mum is a mother of 2 children, twin teenage boys. She had fled from her home country because of political reasons. Her uncle's son had been killed and her family had received several threats of loss of their lives. Since arriving in the UK her husband has developed a serious back problem affecting his mobility. The allowance they receive is grossly inadequate. Your food voucher donation will change their lives.
£150 needed for gas and electricity bills
S is a father of 3 children and currently he is between jobs and looking for a job his wife is also not working as she is looking for the youngest child. S had a bill of debt for gas and electricity and would like your support so he can pay this amount to the provider as his income is currently barely enough for his life expenses and rent.
£200 needed for a carpet fitting
Thank you for reading this request. S has fled Syria and has recently been granted the leave to remain in the UK with his family. He has been living in various hotels but has recently been granted a property of his own. The property he has been granted is uncarpeted and he doesn't have the finances to be able to afford to fit them. His only income is from Universal Credit and he has no savings. We have an amazing offer of free carpets, if we can get a little help fitting them.
£165 needed for delivery and installation of cooker
A is a single man living with a number of chronic health conditions including respiratory concerns and epilepsy. He is in receipt of Universal Credit, and is working hard with local organisations to work his way out of debt. His cooker has recently broken and although he has sought support to replace. We are requesting support to be able to pay the additional cost of delivery and installation.
£200 needed for an air fryer
Z is vulnerable and left his workplace having been bullied at work. This led to debt and to being further targeted in his community, exacerbating his mental health issues. He is being helped by Christians Against Poverty who have found that his current air fryer is unsafe to use and he has no other way of cooking food. We would like to bless him with an air fryer so that he can cook and to help his general wellbeing as well as showing him that people care for his welfare.