The Friendly Almshouses Brixton
Nestled amongst the high-rise buildings in Brixton, a tiny row of almshouses provides a supportive micro-community for women over the age of 50 and in need of housing. They thrive with the support of a small team of staff and committed group of trustees – a fantastic example of how the almshouse movement makes such a positive difference to those who live in one of its 35,000 houses across the country.
The trustees of the Friendly Almshouses have a vision to build more almshouses to honour further the wishes of the women, who formed the charity in 1802, and take it into the next 100 years. The Story of Christmas is funding the development of a garden room/studio which will be used for the residents as an arts and crafts space, along with providing a quiet calm space and, when needed, a private meeting area.
Maria, pictured in the photo, says: “I never dreamed I would come here. My life changed forever thanks to these caring people.”
CRASH
Emmaus UK, with whom CRASH has worked for many years, provides a home and support for as long as needed by residents (known as ‘Companions’). It assists them to move into independent accommodation and paid work when they feel ready to do so. The Story of Christmas is helping the Emmaus Lambeth project in South Norwood. This involves the refurbishment of a house creating extra bedrooms, additional bathrooms, a kitchenette, and heating improvement works. The house, owned by Emmaus, will provide specialised help and a home for previously homeless people.
Momentum Children’s Charity
Momentum Children’s Charity supports children, with cancer or a life-challenging condition, and their families across south west London, Surrey and west Sussex. It provides personally-tailored support for the entire family, both in hospital and at home. The Story of Christmas is supporting a children’s ward refurbishment project to improve the Kingston Hospital experience. This will make visits and medical appointments less frightening for children undergoing treatment for a serious illness.
Sebastian’s Action Trust
Sebastian’s Action Trust provides emotional, social and practical care for life-limited and life-threatened children and their families – from the point of a child’s diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond. It offers family respite care, together with outreach support, aimed at reducing isolation and building resilience. The Story of Christmas is helping to fund the construction of a specially adapted residential lodge at The Woodlands outreach centre, Crowthorne, Berkshire, providing accommodation for families in need of a respite break. This is vital helping families to find time to relax, recharge and come together to make precious memories, which will sustain them in the face of an uncertain future.
St Christopher’s
St Christopher’s Fellowship provides fostering, residential and support services for children and young people. It ensures children and young people can be safe, loved, happy and achieve. The Fellowship wants them to succeed and realise their dreams. Number 66 in Kilburn is one of its children’s home – where eight looked-after children, who may have experienced adversity as a result of abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, loss or other trauma – can find a space to grow up and enjoy their teenage years. The bathrooms and cloakroom at Number 66 are used heavily and have not been refurbished for ten years. Over lockdown, the young people have continuously asked for the facilities to be refurbished. The Story of Christmas’s support has made eight young people and the staff team at Number 66 extremely happy.
St Giles
St Giles is an award-winning charity that uses its expertise and experience to empower young people and adults who don’t receive much-needed help – held back by poverty, homelessness, exploitation, abuse, dealing with mental health problems, caught up in crime – or a combination of these issues. The charity believes people have the power to turn their life around, regardless of their situation. Many of its staff have been in the same circumstances as their clients and use their experiences to inspire and support. The Story of Christmas is funding the refurbishment of client-facing spaces to create a psychologically informed environment that promotes wellness and psychological safety. This will help clients to achieve the best for themselves, their families and their communities. St Giles’s vision is to create a client space that inspires, provides hope, instils confidence and reflects the value placed in those supported.
XLP
XLP is a London-based youth charity working with over 4,500 young people each year living in areas that experience high levels of anti-social behaviour and gang violence. Established 25 years ago in response to a stabbing in south London, XLP helps build positive futures for young people through long-term relationships. It also helps them reach their fullest potential through a variety of projects including arts and music creation, sport, school work, literacy and numeracy, employability and mentoring. The Story of Christmas is funding a double-decker bus, which will be converted into a mobile youth centre and which, each week, will operate on ten inner-city estates where there is no youth provision and the social impact of Covid-19 is at its greatest.
The Young Westminster Foundation: The Floating Classroom
“The Floating Classroom” provides imaginative, engaging and fun learning experiences for young people and their families, inspired by the locations where they take place – London’s waterways and green spaces. It encourages curiosity, taking a delight in discovery and promoting kinship with the natural world. Sessions are delivered on a purpose-built electric barge – the only floating classroom in London – moored in Little Venice near Paddington Station. The Story of Christmas is helping to fund the cost of refurbishing and upgrading the interior and on-board facilities of the barge.
