The idea
Our new Healing Homes West Hub will enable us to improve the lives of the 1 in 4 children living in poverty in LBHF. Disadvantaged single parents and children living in. often invisible, inadequate and uncomfortable home conditions causes harm to development and wellbeing. This undermines children's outcomes and has far reaching consequences for our community. We provide bespoke, trauma informed bedroom and home makeovers to our families, providing essential furniture and decoration. We use quality new and second-hand furniture donations (championing sustainability through landfill diversion). Families are referred from LBHF Children's Services and Health pathway identifying families in highest need. Our intervention delivers immediate, measurable benefits, improving wellbeing, belonging, educational engagement and family relationships. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, 'life changing', enabling families to move beyond crisis to engage more positively with services.
What we'll deliver
- Delivering home transformation projects to cultivate safe spaces for children to live.
- Donation, distribution, upcycling of second hand quality furnishings for families in need in the borough
- Providing operational space for development, planning and growth.
- Training, support, group work, educational workshops for families, volunteers and partners in community.
- To increase the number of Children and Families we can support in LBHF.
Why it's a great idea
Benefits of HHW Hub - Build on strengths in our community - To provide opportunities for community participation and connection.
Operational office and community space – Home make over project planning and development
Furniture Storage – Donation and Collection – Upcycling - redistribution
Meetings – referrals, governance, partnership programme, community offer -
Volunteer education and training -
We amplify voices and experiences of the children and families, making sure they can engage and participate in the development of Healing Homes Hub and support we provide.
Work experience for 16-18 year olds –
Facilitating groups - inc peer led and mentoring support and educational workshops.
Campaign and fundraising, research and policy change.
Professional community pathways, joining up with local systems.
Ongoing development - family support, advocacy, signposting and partnerships with charities inc - YHFF, Old Oak Community, Childhood Trust, 4in10, Little Village.
Steps to get it done
- Healing Homes West home transformation hub operational
- Increase our transformation projects for families over the next 6 months
- Increase local community volunteer network including participation from the families we have supported.
- To be able to increase the offers of furniture donations
- To run groups, workshops, training sessions at the hub
- To fund full time salary for social worker/co founder
- To strengthen community networks
- To facilitate weeks work experience for 6th form students in July
- To develop our support from brands and increase fundraising
