The idea
More Life Home and our team of volunteers are actively responding to COVID -19 by offering free removal services and recycled furniture, that would otherwise be disposed of, to those currently in crisis throughout the borough and we need your help to make it happen.
Since the COVID -19 pandemic swept the nation, More Life Home has received multiple requests to help the most vulnerable in our community experiencing distress due to their living environment and inability to enforce the new restrictions they have to now adhere to. The elderly, those with learning difficulties and people with physical and mental health problems need to move out of their shared living spaces and into family members’ homes or self-isolated dwellings so they remain safe from the virus and can receive the daily support they require to maintain a respectable standard of living.
Our van will meet Ultra Low Emissions Zone standards and provide a sustainable community-led response to COVID-19.
What we'll deliver
- Help to reduce the anxiety and stress levels of those in need
- Support when moving out of their existing dwellings and the same if they are returning home once the pandemic is over
- Essential furniture items including beds, drawers, wardrobes and items for those migrating into self-isolated units
- Essential furnishings for those replacing contaminated furniture after an outbreak of COVID 19 in their home
- Delivery and removal services for those being moved into self-contained units or family homes
- Free storage to protect the personal items of those being moved out of their premises unexpectedly
- General van and delivery services for those on low or no incomes needing COVID 19 related assistance
- Volunteering opportunities for local people
Why it's a great idea
Tower Hamlets has the highest rate of people living in poverty in London. Without this kind of project people in distress will remain there, as they do not have the finance or resources to purchase the items they need. A person’s living environment is key to their mental health and general wellbeing. By providing them with essential items this helps reduce stress and alleviate the strain placed on the family and support network put in place to help them.
We are also helping save the planet! By utilising furniture due to be thrown away we are reducing the amount being sent to the dump or landfill and helping decrease fly tipping, currently on the rise within Tower Hamlets due to a restricted service in large item collection services. In a time where the country and the borough’s resources are limited, it is an affective way to minimalize waste with the added benefit of helping those in need and support the local authority.
Steps to get it done
- Purchase a larger, safer van that complies with the new low emissions standards in 9 months’ time.
- We are worried our existing one will cease to function during the pandemic
- We also require the tail lift to help adhere to social distancing regulations
- Incorporate social distancing regulations within our existing processes
- Provide volunteers with PPE and essential training to ensure they are educated about entering people’s homes
- Work with and support the local authority and frontline organisations to assist their vulnerable service users
- Provide tailor made furniture items to the elderly and physically disabled – Orthopaedic mattresses, high back chairs
- Obtain the compulsory insurance required to protect volunteers and the van
Homeless families with children migrating from B&Bs into temporary accommodation and COVID 19 virus survivors replacing contaminated furniture in their homes have also been identified as high-risk groups urgently needing our help. These groups are unable to afford this large unexpected expense or access the support they need so we are stepping in by ensuring they are moved safely, then providing them with suitable beds, wardrobes, storage cupboards and other essential items needed for them to feel safe and comfortable during this difficult time. We need your help to raise awareness, pull together the essentials and purchase a new larger, safer van with tail lift that will enable us to help more people daily and ensure our volunteers can adhere to social distancing regulations when making deliveries.
