There are around 9 similar projects around the UK all based on the Bristol Reasons started by Joe Sims in Bristol.
Oxfordshire500 began donating £500 a month on the 22nd November 2021. Since then we have given to the following listed below:
Be Free Young Carers who had a special Christmas party for 50 young carers.
A local family with small children who had got themselves into difficulties financially and with food/clothes etc.
A family who have a young son seriously ill with cancer. Parents have had to give up work to shield son so are struggling financially.
Help for 4 Afghan refugee families setting up in their own accommodation in Oxfordshire
4 families in need given access to food for 33 weeks through Sofea
Elderly couple who are struggling. She has cancer and he is her carer. Not enough money to eat properly or heat their house.
A single mother with three children. She has fibromyalgia and has had to stop work because of pain and mobility problems. She has been assessed for a disability payment but will not hear the outcome for 4 - 6 weeks.
Two donations this month. Mulberry Bush School who deal with children who have experienced extreme trauma and secondly an individual setting up home with nothing needing white goods and furnishings.
Our July donation has gone to a single mother who is having a hard time at the moment. She suffers from a chronic autoimmune illness and is unable to work. She is waiting for her benefits to come through but she is now behind in her rent and has barely any money to get through the next few weeks.
Two donations in August. One to a single mother living in a flat with two small boys. One of whom has ADHD. She is really struggling at the moment and the boys need new beds. The second donation has gone to someone who has been homeless but has just been given access to some accommodation. He has no recourse to public funds so needs help with furnishings and white goods.
Two donations in September. One to an individual who has worked hard to flee domestic abuse and work his way out of homelessness. He helps at the Gatehouse and never asks for help for himself but he is now falling into debt as his benefit support has been changed and he has to wait several weeks for payment. The other donation went to someone who is a client of Aspire. He worked as a carpenter but sadly now has become ill and is unable to cover his rent so this will tide him over until his benefits arrive.
Two donations in October. One to a CAB client who is a victim of domestic abuse and her ex partner smashed way into her property and caused considerable damage. Has no hoover, winter clothes or a TV. Very short of money. Our other donation went to a family with two small children nominated by Homestart. Mother is waiting for DBS check for a job but they need beds and clothes for the children.
November's donation went to 'Mary' who is caring for a friend's three young children whilst their mother is ill in hospital and their father is nowhere to be seen. She has three children of her own but not enough income to support them all. She has had to pawn some of her belongings for food and rent. She never complains but is very worried about their future.
Two donations in December. The first to a single mother fleeing an abusive relationship and her ex partner broke into her flat and destroyed her possessions. The second to a house in Oxford which cares for young and vulnerable mothers and their babies and pregnant young women who need a roof over their head. The house is in very bad repair.
Two donations in January. A mother who has been left with a 4 month old baby needing help until she can pay her way and secondly a victim of domestic abuse with 4 children under 12. Two of whom have been sexually abused. Needing help in setting up in new accommodation.
Two donations in February. The first to a family whose mother has suffered a brain aneuryrism and her two young children are being looked after by her partner who has had to give up his job and the second to another family where the mother has significant mental health difficulties and a neighbour is looking after her eleven year old daughter. She already has three children so money is very tight.
One donation in March to a single mother who has an autistic and non-verbal child. They are unable to communicate which leads to much frustration. A new communication iPad will help her and her daughter.
Two donations in April. Firstly someone who has had a lot of physical health problems and is homeless but has now been offered sheltered accommodation but needs funds for furniture and household essentials. Secondly a great aunt is caring for her eleven year old great nephew after his mother died from breast cancer at the end of 2022. She already has 3 young children of her own and is struggling to make ends meet. He has an elder sister in London but there is no money for him to go and see her so this money will fund his travel to London for the foreseeable future.
One donation in May to Flexicare which is a local Oxfordshire charity operating since 1985. It provides respite for families who are otherwise in virtual lockdown looking after severely disabled children. As other services have been progressively cut back Flexicare is an absolute lifeline to the many families with disabled and terminally ill children who depend on it. It mainly relies on donations and was very important in helping a friend of one of our members with her son. "As a family we will never ever forget Flexicare's invaluable help. Knowing our son was in the safest of hands, we could leave him, to do ordinary things like go out for a meal, or a walk and once to go to a best friend's wedding."
Two donations in June. A family where the mother is struggling with her mental health and managing her finances. They are relying on food banks. Her 13 year old daughter has been diagnosed with leukaemia and her rehabilitation , after an induced coma, will be long and slow. The second donation went to the primary carer of two very small children. She has debilitating dyslexia but has taken on a part time job at the local pub to pay off her arrears but she is limited in what she can do.
One donation in July went to twin 15 year old boys who were living with their mother but she has some serious drug and alcohol issues and the family were made homeless at the end of last year. The boys are being cared for under a non-permanent arrangement with a family but the boys are very sociable and active and have a a huge interest in boxing and rugby. This money will support the boys with their sporting interests and also educational needs.
Two donations in August. Death threats have been received from her late sister's husband. They were moved into housing in Abingdon in March 2023. They have very few possessions apart from clothing and a fridge. The child has asthma and PTSD and the client has a long term heart condition, joint/mobiity problems along with other health issues which leaves her unable to work and requiring a wheelchair on some occasions. There is crumbling flooring downstairs and only cardboard covering floorboards upstairs, both creating a lot of dust and causing problems for wheelchair use when needed. £500 would be a great help towards carpets. The second donation went to Tandem, a small charity, based in Oxford, run by volunteers that sets up one-to-one befriending partnerships with people who are experiencing periods of mental ill health.
Our donation in September went to Jacob who is 22. He has had a traumatic upbringing where his mother kept him living outside in a tent in her back garden, fed him alcohol at a very young age and treated him like an animal. He is now alcohol free, going to college 3 days a week and doing a construction course whilst completing his Maths and English GCSE's. He is wanting to learn to drive which the £500 would pay for, to enable him to have more opportunities for work out of Oxford.
October's donation went to a mother whose partner left her and their baby son. Her ex-partner is military which meant she had to leave their family home and find somewhere for herself and her baby boy to live. She secured a job and, after lots of battling, managed to move to other accommodation through social housing. It is a first floor flat and is expensive to rent. She has no curtains. Instead she is temporarily using sheets. But now the colder weather is approaching she would like curtains for warmth and privacy.
Two donations in November. The first to a family fleeing domestic violence. After 20 years client separated from partner in 2022. She and her 2 daughters have been living in a refuge and a Travel Lodge. The family now live in a housing association home in Oxfordshire but all 3 suffer with mental health issues. She was working as a delivery driver but after an accident claims Universal Credit and is the carer for her 2 daughters. They are slowly starting to build their life back together with support from Citizens Advice. They are struggling to furnish their new flat and have no bedroom furniture and need a bed. The second to James who recently came to the Gatehouse for some casework support. He explained his troubled past and was previously housed with Aspire. He has been offered a tenancy and he is housed in this property. He has been very grateful for the support from the Gatehouse and we would love to offer him more. A mattress, curtains and a laptop to try and access work and benefits himself, which is a great step towards his independence.
Three donations in December. The first to a 40 year old woman left with nothing after suffering years of abusive behaviour from her spouse. She has two sons aged 11 and 13 and is in temporary accommodation with no furnishings. Secondly we gave a donation to an 80 year old disabled woman who lost her husband a week ago. He left no money and she only receives £94 a week. She is trying to deal with the bereavement and money worries and the money will tide her over until her benefits can be sorted. Finally we gave a donation to a single parent fleeing domestic violence with two children aged 10 and 4.
We have given two donations this month. The first to a family for whom life is desperately difficult. They have a seriously disabled daughter in need of 24 hour care which is totally provided by her mother as father has early onset dementia. The second nominated by Homestart, to a family who are really struggling. They have very little support or furniture. All four of them are sleeping on the floor and the mother has poor mental health.
Two donations in February. The first to an individual who has been sleeping on the streets and needed a deposit for the temporary accommodation that he has been given through the Porch. This will enable him to continue his new full time employment and to move forward. Secondly we gave to a family with two young children who have taken in their 15 year old cousin who can't live with her parents as they are deemed unsafe. They want to furnish a room for her so that she has a space of her own and the fostering team feel they have gone above and beyond.
Two donations in March. The first to a single mother with 5 children whose second hand cooker has broken and she can't afford another and secondly to a grandmother who is caring for her 3 grandchildren as they cannot live with their mother as it was deemed unsafe. She is struggling with fibromyalgia and needs some financial help.
We have given two donations in April. The first to a family with two children aged 2 and 4 months. She is on maternity leave and her husband, who is self employed, is off sick due to waiting for an operation. He is not able to go back to work and they are struggling on very low income. Secondly we gave a donation to someone sadly diagnosed with breast cancer who is unable to work. She has no recourse to public funds and needs income to pay for her rent whilst having 16 weeks of chemo.
Two donations in May. The first to a carer who goes above and beyond looking after a 14 year old child who was abandoned by his parents. Secondly we gave a donation to a family of 5 (children aged 10, 8 and 1 year). The father has had an accident and can't work and mother has a postnatal illness and they are really struggling financially.
Two donations in June, The first to a single mother who is fleeing domestic violence. She has two children under 5, is suffering from PTSD and is trying to furnish their accommodation. At the moment she shares a single bed with her youngest. The second donation went to a small charity called Cornermen which focuses on male mental health and suicide prevention.
We have given three donations in July. The first to a single mother with 3 children who is really struggling financially. The second to a single father who has mental health issues. He worked for the army in Afghanistan and has limited benefits and finally to a Zimbabwean national who is a dedicated care worker who can't find work due to sponsorship difficulties.
We gave two donations in August. The first to a family of four with a seven year old who is autistic and non verbal who needs an ipad or something similar to communicate with his family and a second to A who is a long term drug user who is successfully turning her life around. She is working but needs help funding a deposit for independent accommodation. Nominated by Oxfordshire Homeless Movement.
We gave two donations in September. The first to a young single mother who has just been offered accommodation but the flat has no furnishings and the second to a Syrian refugee with two young children. Husband is stranded in Lebanon because of the war. She is very depressed and isolated and uses the food bank continuously. She needs help financially.
We gave two donations in October. The first to a young single mother who has just been offered independent accommodation but the flat is totally unfurnished. Nominted by Homestart. The second to an Oxfordshire Homeless Movement client who has had to flee from abuse and is attempting to raise a deposit for her new accommodation.
Two donations in November. The first to a single man, nominated by Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, who has finally been given accommodation but it has no furnishings and he needs assistance to buy some basic things and the second, nominated by Homestart, to a single mother of 2 who has lost her mother who she was very close to and recently her partner and the father of the two boys has left. Mother is just about managing but her mental health is suffering. The youngest of the 2 boys is aggressive, unpredictable and destructive. Both boys need bedding.
Two donations this month. The first to grandparents caring for their two grandchildren as mother is unable to care for them. They are coping with significant bed wetting and their dryer has broken down. They were nominated by Oxford City Fostering and the second to a family supported by Flexicare. She is a single parent with a 12 year old severely disabled son. She is struggling to support her family and provide clothing and food for her family.
Two donations in January. the first to a family nominated by Homestart, where the father has become ill and remains in hospital. Mother and children are struggling financially and the second, nominated by City Fostering, to a family who are looking after children whose mother is awaiting trial. They need help with extra gas bills and mattresses for the children.
One donation in February to a District Nurse who has taken into her family an 11 year old boy whose parents are unable to keep him safe due to addiction and mental health struggles. He is hoping to go on a residential school trip but the carer can't afford to send him as she is struggling herself. Nominated by City Fostering
Three donations of £500 in March. The first to grandparents who are looking after an 8 year old who can't live with her mother due to witnessing domestic violence perpetrated by her mother's partner and chronic neglect. Nominated by City Fostering. Secondly nominated by Homeless Oxfordshire an individual who has lost his home and has been living on the street. The trauma of which has significatntly affected his mental health. Finally a family who have a child with down syndrome, autism and mobility issues who required surgery last year. Her needs are great and she requires constant supervision and ensuring the home is a safe place is a constant. Nominated by Flexicare.
Two donations in April. The first to a family, nominated by Flexicare, who have a severely disabled 9 year old child with a rare genetic condition (Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome) who are trying raise funds to buy a specialist tricycle for him and secondly to an individual who has been living on the streets but has now, with support from Oxfordshire Homeless, found an unfurnished flat which he needs to make into a home for himself and his son.
Three donations this month. The first to a single mother, nominated by Oxfordshire Homeless, who has faced significant challenges following the recent loss of her partner. She has been living as the only female amongst four male housemates in supported accommodation which has been highly unsuitable. She has now an opportunity of a fresh start as she has been offered a Social Housing flat for her and her daughter but it is unfurnished so she requires assistance. The second to a refugee from Qatar nominated by CAB. He had to leave the country as he is Palestinian due to his parents having moved from Gaza. He has managed to secure a rental property and is about to be joined by his wife and 2 children so is seeking help to make a home and finally to someone who has recently had her leg amputated and is needing help moving to new accommodation as she currently lives in a first floor flat. She will also need extra help for aids and adaptations as funding from the NHS is very limited . Nominated by Elmore Community Services.
We have given two donations this June. The first to a CAB client with throat cancer. He can't talk and lives in a park home where the only hot water is via his electric shower. He was being helped under their Macmillan funded project but this has unfortunately been stopped. He is in need of funds whilst waiting for his PIP application to be considered. Secondly we gave a donation to a mother of twin girls who have very complex needs. Both are fitted for a Gastrostomy for their food intake. They also have significant learning and sensory disabilities and mother is looking for funds to turn the girls bedroom into a sensory room.
We have given two donations this July. Both of them to Homestart clients. The first to a single mother who has a 10 year old and 1 year old. She is struggling financially with no support from ex partners as no contact due to DV. She accesses foodbank but she has no money to purchase a bed for her youngest child and there is no flooring at all in the bedrooms. Secondly to a single father of 4 children under 8 who has finally moved into their own new build home. He has no funds spare to kit out the garden with any play equipment for the children, eg: swing, trampoline, toys etc. The new home is on a main road with as yet no pathways to access any play parks on foot.
We have given two donations this August. The first to a family who have just moved into new accommodation. They have five children who need school uniforms and are struggling financially with the rent and they don't have any furniture. Secondly to a CAB client, a single father with limited mobility and difficulty carrying out everyday tasks. He has two children aged 4 & 5 and is needing help with purchasing a washing machine. Also the children are outgrowing their clothes. We have given two donations this August. The first to a family who have just moved into new accommodation. They have five children who need school uniforms and are struggling financially with the rent and they don't have any furniture. Secondly to a CAB client, a single father with limited mobility and difficulty carrying out everyday tasks. He has two children aged 4 & 5 and is needing help with purchasing a washing machine. Also the children are outgrowing their clothes.
We have given two donations this September. The first to a grandmother who has taken responsibility for the care of her two grandchildren who can't remain with their parents due to their challenges with mental health, substance abuse and neglect. She gave up her employment to care for both children which has resulted in a limited family income. Secondly we have donated to Didcot Foodbank who are struggling at the moment. They are running on a deficit and now can only offer help to those in absolute food poverty whilst they have previously been able to help those struggling generally.
We have given two donations this October. The first to a single man, nominated by CAB Didcot, who has spent most of his life in care but now through his hard work has shown social services that he can be a good father and provide for his 15 year old son. He has been given a two bedroom property but this comes with no white goods and he has no money to buy these things. . Secondly, also nominated by CAB Oxford, a client who has a long term disability who has moved into new permanent OCC property. He also is in need of furnishings enabling him to move into the new property before the winter. We have given two donations this October.
We have given two donations this November. The first to a single mother, nominated by Homestart, who has just been housed from a woman's refuge into a flat of her own with a 5 month old baby. She has no bed, warm/winter clothing, coats, shoes for herself or clothing for her baby. Secondly a client from the Elmore Community Services who is 28 weeks pregnant and has endured severe domestic abuse and is facing significant financial hardship. She is struggling to prepare for her baby who is due in January.
We have been able to give three donations in December.The first to a family who have recently started with Homestart. Mother and 3 year old daughter. They have fled domestic abuse and honour based threats and have been moved to an empty flat. Since the flat is through a private association they are unable to help with any furnishings. The second donation went to a family supported by Flexicare who are caring for their 11 year old daughter with serious disabilities including autism, non-verbal communication, and complex health needs. These challenges significantly affect her daily functioning and place considerable demands on the entire family and finally we gave to a single mother unable to maintain her financial stability and who has now exhausted her funds for food, fuel and essential bills. Nominated by CAB.
Two donations in January. The first to a CAB client who is currently in a state of extreme distress and financial freefall. Due to an administrative quirk in the benefits system she is not just 'short on funds' but completely destitute. She has two children aged 7 and 3 and her income leaves her with a £28 surplus available at the end of the month. Secondly we have given to a family, nominated by Homestart, who are helping a young boy with autism who is non-verbal and has global devleopment delay, severe speech delay and sensory processing disorder. They live in a small overcrowded one bedroom apartment. Mother doesn't work and they can't afford any sensory toys and other equipment for him to feel more secure and settled.
Two donations in February. The first, nominated by Homestart, to a single mother with a 4 month old baby. She has ADHD and suffers with anxiety, and other health issues and is very isolated. She lacks confidence to go out on her own and this is exacerbated by not having an appropriate/reliable pushchair. It is 4th hand and is missing parts and only usable with the carry cot which the baby hates so she ends up having to carry the baby and push it empty (volunteer has confirmed this is the case). Also she needs to purchase a cot and for a more mobile baby to top it all, her washing machine has given up and she had to spend all her saved money on this. Secondly with the City Fostering Team offering their strongest support on behalf of a remarkable grandmother who has shown extraordinary dedication and resilience in caring for her granddaughter. Approximately two years ago, this grandmother stepped in to provide permanent care for her granddaughter when her own daughter was no longer able to do so due to concerns for her granddaughter’s safety. Since then, she has transformed her life entirely to meet the needs of her granddaughter, putting her wellbeing above all else.In order to provide this stable and loving environment, the grandmother made the difficult decision to leave full time employment. This has understandably brought significant financial challenges.
We have been able to give two donations in March. The first, nominated by Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, to a couple who have been living on the streets for three years who are now in a position to move into accommodation. The funds requested will contribute towards the deposit needed to secure this housing, with any remaining amount helping them to furnish the space and make it a place to start their lives with stability. The second donation went to a family where the mother has had to give up work due to her sons emerging needs. Father is an ambulance driver who has also reduced his hours to support mother and son. This has left the family in financial difficulty. However what the family really need is a sturdy, safe and robust pushchair so they may continue to go out for walks.The walks help their son with his meltdowns and sensory issues
We have been able to give two donations in April. The first, nominated by Flexicare, to a single mother caring for her 13 year old who has complexx additional needs. He is non verbal and has little understanding or awareness of danger and requires constant supervision and full support with all aspects of his care. Secondly, nominated by Oxfordshire City Fostering Team, to a grandmother who is looking after her grandaughter who has ADHD. She also looks after her grandaughter's father who has stomach cancer. She has had to give up work resulting in financial strain and increased pressure on her overall well-being. The combinsation of the father's deteriorating health, her caring duties, and her constrained living conditions has created a sustained level of pressure that significantly impacts her daily life.
We have been able to give two donations in May. The first, nominated by Flexicare. A single mother of a 17 year old young man with cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs who requires full time care to meet his extensive disabilities. He is non-verbal and is fed via a gastrostomy. His needs are constant and highly complex, requiring skilled support throughout the day and night to keep him safe, comfortable, and well. He also has Obstructive Airway Syndrome which means he has frequent respiratory infections . The grant will make a meaningful difference to both mother and son. His mother would like to purchase a tumble dryer to help manage the significant increase in laundry resulting from his changing physical needs, while also easing pressure on the family and supporting his comfort, safety, and overall quality of life. Secondly a girl who is known well to one of our members, who has been struggling with endometriosis. She has been waiting for almost 12 years for surgery through the NHS but has been consistently turned away. She has been in constant agony, unable to walk most of the time and felt that her body was giving up. She has been dependent on her family and has had to move home permanently as she has been unable to work. She is, with this grant, within reach of achieving the funds for surgery.
We have been able to give two donations in June. The first nominated by Homestart, to a single mother of 22 with a 1 year old. She is an asylum seeker and has been in the UK since August after witnessing her husband's murder in a shooting. She has recently been moved by the Home office from a hotel to a flat which is very sparse. Only a double bed, sofa and chest of drawers. The donation will be used for bedding, a bed for for the child, clothing for them both, and other necessary furnishings. Secondly nominated by CAB,a family with two children 4 & 1 years old. 4-year-old has needed to be removed from nursery setting due to his additional needs. He can be very heightened and deregulated for extended periods of time, cannot be around sibling due to emerging safety risks. They previously had sectioned off their lounge with barriers so that the children could play safely and independently in the same room as D works from home but cannot be on hand to support M. They have now converted the boys room into a safe/sensory space but need some funds to equip it and to obtain SEN & educational toys, garden toys/trampoline so that there is adequate stimulation and play opportunities at home as they can't safely frequent a park, nursery, groups.
We have been able to give two donations in July. The first to a client nominated by Oxford CAB who has a severely disabled 2 year old and as a result incurs higher than normal utility bills due to heating costs and the expense of running medical equipment including an oxygen distributor. She also has high transport costs as her son has frequent hospital visits and she needs to use taxis to travel anywhere with him. Funding from the Oxford 500 would be an invaluable contribution to improving her son's quality of life. Secondly through Connection Support a young individual who came from Egypt in 2015 as an unaccompanied minor. He has been through a lot – significant childhood trauma, looked after by social services, street homelessness, failed asylum immigration applications. He has a partner and a son but has been unable to live with them so far due to unresolved immigration situation. All he’s ever wanted is to have a fair shot in life, be able to work, provide for his family and set the right example for his son who just turned two in April. The Oxfordshire 500 grant, will help him achieve this goal a lot sooner and will be used towards a deposit on this young family’s first ever family home.
We have been able to give three donations in August. The first to a client nominated by CAB who put forward a mother who is in extreme financial difficulties. She is trying to move to a cheaper property but she is not a priority for the location housing authorities due to the fact she is already in housing albeit too expensive. She is reliant on the food bank but every month is an absolute struggle. The second donation went to an individual who was helped substantially by The Porch. He has now moved to Northhamptonshire but travels down to Oxford once or twice a week to help others. Oxfordshire Homeless Movement were seeking support to fund his train travel enabling him to continue volunteering at The Porch. Their view is that even when he had very little he chose to invest his time in helping others so he should be supported now. Finally we gave a third donation to a family nominated by Homestart with two young children, one who has needed to be removed from nursery due to his additional needs. They are struggling financially and need funds to create a safe/sensory space.