The summer has been very busy for our community enterprise. Our role as volunteers is both emotional and physical, it does take a toll sometimes when we see so many fellow Londoners and guests living in such unfair and inhabitable conditions who have very little hope for their children and themselves.
From a mum who’s fled domestic abuse to only be housed in a room infested with mice and a leaking flat-roof which leaks directly above the bed, to a single mum with 5 children who in less than 6 months has been rehoused 4 separate times in various hotels often in a twin bed room resulting in her young daughter who has been undergoing cancer treatment refusing to stay with her mum as she feels the constant moving is affecting her physical health and recovery.
To a mum who has just been granted asylum after 2 years of waiting only to find herself evicted from her hotel and finding herself immediately homeless with no guidance on where to go or turn.
Finally to the heartbreaking news that similar community & charitable organisations have either shut their doors or suspended services altogether, ultimately adding further pressure to our severely strained AngelBox & Parent support services.
If anything, these family stories shared are only a snapshot of 100’s of extracts of suffering and deprivation we have witnessed, over the summer months. It’s led to a surge in parents suffering with mental-health conditions, parents foregoing a meal to buy baby essentials, asylum seeking parents working under the table because they cannot rely on £8 per week any longer, some parents have turned to drugs and alcohol, and some parents are resorting to shoplifting.
Bottomline we’ve seen it all this summer, the cracks in our crumbling society have never been wider and more visible. As a result, we’ve seen a 200% increase in applications year on year and an incredible increase in the use of our parent support services putting a huge strain on our resources and so at the end of August 2023, our entire team took a much need 2 week sabbatical and on our return, we spent a few days restocking and training in preparation for the hardest months ahead.
