Charity Link supports people in poverty, hardship and crisis throughout the Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire areas. Helping over 8000 individuals and families who find themselves in desperate need each year, Charity Link seeks out and obtains funding from charitable trusts and benevolent funds in order to provide essential household items, grants towards the cost of utilities, and even emergency food where it is most needed.
Charity Link’s work is highly effective, however there are limited trusts available to approach for help to the support of clients with mental health problems. Many of the clients referred to Charity Link are single men with little to no work history living with mental health problems, which often limits funding opportunities even further. This is why the Carlton Hayes Mental Health Charity’s funding has been of essential help for these individuals.
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The annual grant provided by the Carlton Hayes Mental Health Charity is invaluable in helping Charity Link to provide essential support to vulnerable people with mental health conditions in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The funds help Charity Link to support around 400 individuals each year, with support tailored to each individual client. The items provided may not always cost a huge amount, but they can make an immense difference to the individual’s quality of life, as demonstrated in Anthony’s case:
Anthony had a troubled childhood in which he was exposed to domestic violence at a young age before being put into foster care and later adopted. As a teenager, he began taking drugs and would later be diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
After being arrested for a drug-related offence, he spent some time in Bradgate Mental Health Unit before being released under the care of a community psychiatric nurse.
However, on his release he found that his home had been burgled and all of his household and kitchen appliances had been taken. Anthony was therefore forced to spend much of his small Employment and Support Allowance income on microwave meals and laundrette fees.
When his microwave broke, Anthony was unable to provide a hot meal for himself and the stress of the situation impacted on his mental health.
With the help of the Carlton Hayes Mental Health Charity, Charity Link was able to provide a number of items – including a cooker, a fridge, a bed and a washing machine – to help Anthony improve many aspects of his life, including personal hygiene, general health and wellbeing, and the ability to live economically. Most importantly, the help supported Anthony in his wish to live independently and to feel secure in his home environment.