For people in vulnerable situations, missing a minor payment like a month’s rent or a small debt can have disastrous consequences. This could lead to housing loss or prevent someone from accessing stable accommodation. This puts people at immediate risk of homelessness, even though the sums involved are often quite small.
In this blog, we explore how our homeless charity’s VRF provides vital funds to support people out of vulnerable situations. Small amounts can help cover essential costs, such as ID to access accommodation, and can transform a person’s circumstances within a matter of days.
Read about Aaron’s journey and see first-hand how small contributions can make a huge impact for those at risk of homelessness.
The power of small donations
Minor contributions may seem insignificant, but they can cover essential costs that prevent eviction or help people with their housing applications. Our VRF highlights how even small contributions can help transform lives and ensure more people across the UK have a safe place to live.
Before we get started
Before we get started
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How the Vicar’s Relief Fund helps people experiencing homelessness
How the Vicar’s Relief Fund helps people experiencing homelessness
The VRF provides small crisis grants of up to £350 for preventing eviction and up to £500 to help with accessing accommodation. This emergency financial support is issued in a matter of days and can quickly help bring stability to someone’s life.
But even small donations can have a big impact for people experiencing homelessness. In just six months (between April and September 2024), the VRF awarded 2,479 emergency grants to help people with urgent needs. These included small funds such as covering the cost of ID required for housing applications.
For some, this relatively small expense can be a major barrier to secure housing. That’s why small donations can be so powerful and make such a difference in preventing or overcoming homelessness.
In the six months between 1 April 2024 and 30 September 2024, 75 awards were given for ID to access accommodation, including:
- 30 awards of £88.50 for passports
- 3 awards of £12.50 for birth certificates
- 2 awards of £34 for driver’s licenses
- 2 awards of £20 for renewal of driver’s licenses
These small awards from the VRF are crucial in allowing people to prove their identity when applying for a new tenancy. Just £12.50 can be all that some people need to help them access long-term stability and security.
Read on to hear how Aaron found a home thanks to a small VRF grant.
Support St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity and help transform lives.
Behind these numbers are real people, some facing extreme circumstances. Through your donations, we have been able to transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness through the VRF.
One of those real stories is Aaron’s.
Aaron’s Story
In a matter of weeks, Aaron’s life was turned upside down when he lost his mum and his relationship ended. Unable to stay in the home he had shared with his girlfriend, Aaron then found himself on the streets.
“I didn’t want to accept what happened. I had everything. Almost perfect. And in three weeks it all went bang, and I lost it all. It was one of the hardest times in my life to be honest, and I’m still recovering from it now”.
For seven years, Aaron struggled to find stability, turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the harsh reality of rough sleeping. He faced many challenges living on the streets – his tent was ransacked multiple times, leaving him feeling unsafe. It was at this point that he got his first dog, Rex, who became his constant source of support and companionship.
“He got me back to the tent many times where I wasn’t 100% with the world. And he got me back to wherever I was staying at the time or wherever we were sleeping”.
Aaron decided to get another dog, Moz, so he could keep Rex company when Aaron had to earn some money. Eventually, with Shelter Lancashire’s support, Aaron managed to find a pet-friendly flat. However, to secure the property, he needed rent in advance – a sum just beyond his reach. His support worker helped him apply for a £78 grant from the VRF, which covered the initial costs and allowed him to finally move into stable housing with Rex and Moz.
Now employed and in his own space, Aaron finally has a place to call home, somewhere he can leave his dogs safely at home while he goes to work. This small but crucial grant marked a turning point in his life, showing how even a minor financial contribution can be a huge help for people experiencing homelessness.
“If it wasn’t for that £78, we wouldn’t have got this place. That’s quite weird, how one little thing like that could stop you getting one house. I’m surprised I’ve got this far this quick”.
How a small donation makes a big difference
Aaron’s story is a powerful reminder of how even a small donation can make a life-changing impact. For Aaron, it took just £78 to secure his new home and give him the space to find work, allowing him to cover rent on his own moving forward.
We know that the run-up to Christmas is an expensive time for many, and donating even small amounts can feel like a big ask. However, each smaller donation quickly accumulates to the total that can change someone’s life, such as the £78 that Aaron needed.
A donation of just £20 could provide someone with a driver’s license needed to secure housing or employment. A few donations of this size could even cover initial rent, giving someone the stability they need. Larger contributions, created from a handful of smaller ones, can go towards more extensive support services or help multiple people experiencing homelessness.
How you can support people experiencing homelessness
By making a donation today, you can help more people like Aaron get the support they need to turn their lives around.
Your support can help people experiencing homelessness receive targeted support through specialist organisations in our Frontline Network.
Support St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity and help transform lives.
