We were super pleased to be able to give £4,000 each to 3 charities this year - Room to Heal, Gorse Hill Studios and Beam. Here's a little about each of them.
Room to Heal
Room to Heal is a frontline human rights charity, supporting asylum seekers and refugees who have fled torture and persecution overseas to rebuild their lives in the UK.
Each year they support around 100 people from over 30 countries. Support includes trauma-based therapy, advice and advocacy for housing, legal protection, healthcare, welfare, training and education, and help to navigate the asylum system plus community gardening and social activities.
Room to Heal works at depth and over the long-term, tailoring support to each person’s needs, recognising that members can’t focus on, nor benefit from, intensive therapeutic work if they have no bed to sleep in, nor food to eat. Caseworkers work closely with therapists, making sure each community member receives integrated support to maximise their chances of recovery.
The community members see Room to Heal as their family in the UK, the place they can rely on, and where they belong.
Gorse Hill Studios
Gorse Hill Studios is an ambitious youth arts charity, who believe all young people have the right to social, emotional, and educational investment in their future.
They work with young people through Creative Engagement encouraging them to value themselves by taking an active role in their learning and education, supporting them to build achievable, aspirational pathways for their futures.
Beam
Beam is the world's first crowdfunding platform for homeless people. Through Beam's website, homeless people can crowdfund the cost of job training, work tools, rental deposits and other financial barriers. A team of Beam caseworkers then supports each person into a stable job or home, and donors receive updates on the people they've supported. Since launching in 2017, Beam has supported more than 530 homeless people into stable jobs and homes.
Through our recent donation, Working Planet was able to support four homeless people on their journey into work through Beam. One of them is 30-year-old Matilda, who is now working as a kitchen assistant for a major hospitality company after crowdfunding £2,206. The role will help her support her family and give her greater independence.
If you'd like to find out more about these organisations and the amazing work they do, take a look at their websites and social media.