Dana’s story

Victim Support strongly advised Dana that she should remove herself and her six-month-old son from the home they had shared with her abusive ex-partner. Dana was working long night shifts as a support worker for a home care agency but the sporadic shifts meant she did not have a sustainable income and was unable to raise funds for the deposit of a new home. With no close family living in the UK to support Dana, she and her son had to make an emergency application for housing and was eventually placed in temporary accommodation by the council.

Dana had saved some money to pay for references to help her secure a new property. However, the landlord of the property she found decided he wasn’t happy to proceed with Dana as it was taking her too long to collect the funds together to pay for the deposit.

“It was painful when the landlord turned his back on me after I got my hopes up and thought I’d found somewhere to call home again.”

Transforming a flat into a home

Dana’s local council helped her to secure a rented flat from a housing association in a different borough to where her ex-partner was living, and things were really looking up.

“The council can only do so much and when I moved in, the flat was empty. I was overcome by mixture of emotions when I got the keys to the flat because while it meant everything to start a new chapter, the flat was filled with nothing”

The grant we awarded to Dana within 14 days of her contacting our service enabled her to purchase essential items and transform her flat into a home. The grant paid for a bed frame and mattress, a mini fridge freezer and a small cooker.

“It’s amazing how much the fridge freezer has transformed the way I prepare food for my son. Rather than spending every day running to the local supermarket and eating jam sandwiches, I can store my son’s food for days and spend time making structured meal plans. My priority now is just settling down and making sure my baby has everything he needs. 2017 was difficult for us, but The Care Workers Charity has gifted me with stability and a more positive outlook for 2018.”

How we can help you

Our confidential grants service is here to help you on your rainy day by preventing you from facing financial hardship alone.

If you have worked in the care sector and are experiencing financial hardship brought upon by an expected or sudden drop in income, ill health, injury, bereavement, changes in living circumstances or a relationship breakdown then we may be able to offer you support.

Please visit our grants page to find out more and apply.