Grant update: Justlife Foundation, Brighton and Hove

Left to right: Chris Sawyer (Director of Fine & Country Brighton and Hove), Gary Bishop (CEO of Justlife), Adam Farrell (Director of Fine & Country Brighton and Hove), Charlotte Schofield Coordindor for The Fine & Country Foundation), Kate Standing (Project Development Worker for Justlife) and Simon Gale (Operations and Hub Manager for Justlife).

The Justlife Foundation received grants in both our spring and autumn grant programmes in 2018. The Fine & Country Foundation delivered a total of £6,000 of grants to make approximately 160 Move-In packs.

Each Move-In pack consists of hand-picked items to suit each individual. Some people have nothing when they enter into accommodation, while others have a few basics. The packs includes a range of items such as: alarm clocks, diary planners, kitchen utensils, tinned food and washbags with hooks (perfect for shared bathrooms).

Without these items, it can be very difficult for an individual to settle into a new, and often daunting, environment. This, combined with one-to-one support, has helped service users remain in accommodation and begin to break the cycle of homelessness.

Some essential items in the Move-In packs.

These tailor-made packs have proven effective for service users moving into new accommodation:

Case studies from service users
Tom*, 63 - Following a history of abandonment, the support worker ensured that a pack was delivered before he arrived in their new accommodation. Weeks after moving in, Tom is still in his accommodation and making good progress. Tom saw the pack as an opening to trust and engage with their support worker so they learnt the requirements needed to remain in their accommodation, such as hygiene. The support worker also reported improvements in Tom’s self-care as a result of the pack.

Lisa*, 32 - Lisa has nothing in the way of basic items before moving into accommodation causing Lisa’s anxiety to grow to the point she could focus on little else. The pack was the first step to create an environment resembling a home. Anxiety eased as a result of this and Lisa began to work with their support worker to get to the root causes of issues and cope with housing, health and income.

“This is amazing! I am speechless. A wonderful and welcoming charity. I never expected anything like this.” 

Client with Support Worker at Justlife centre.

Comments from staff
Support Worker - It could take a person weeks to gather the items which our packs provide. The items are designed to improve quality of life, for example: notebook to record appointments and encourage routines, or cooking equipment to enable service users to make nutritious meals.

The packs are well-presented in strong and sturdy bags to give each person a sense of dignity over their personal possessions, a clear contrast to the bin bags they often have their items stored in. Having the basics, like a kettle to make tea and coffee, can go a long way to making a bare room into a home. 

The packs create the notion of support and care, which in turn encourages clients to engage with services to further their recovery and reintegration into the community. 

For more information on our grant programme and the other charities supported, please click here.

The Foundation grant programme re-opens 1st-31st March and 1st-31st October 2019. Find out more here.

*The names of the clients have been changed to preserve anonymity. 

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