WHO WE HELP
The Link Foundation has helped many families in different circumstances and therefore in different ways. With our focus on the children, here are just a few examples that demonstrate how TLF offers practical help where it matters most.
Anna's Story
Anna, a 9-year-old local girl, suffers from acute scoliosis of the spine. Her mum didn't have the funds for a special spinal bed despite the tremendous difference she knew this would have made to Anna, who was in a huge amount of pain in a standard bed, with her mum sleeping by her side every night in an attempt to alleviate her discomfort. The local Health Authority couldn't provide a special bed, so The Link Foundation bought one at £1,500 which means that Anna (and her mum!) are now able to get a good night's sleep, making a tremendous difference to the quality of their daily lives.
Jessica's Story
Having fled from a dangerously abusive partner, Jessica and her four children aged between 5 and 13 years, stayed in a domestic violence refuge run by one of our partners, where they were able to have some respite and start to get over their ordeal. A few months later, having finally been re-homed, they found themselves in a very basic property, with little or no essential furniture or resources, not even vital items, such as bedding and pots and pans. As well as donating £200 towards basic furniture, The Link Foundation mobilised a second hand collection which gathered together a large amount of good quality crockery, cooking equipment, bedding and other basics at no cost to the family. We now know that they are doing well, the children are happy at school and Jessica is just about to start a new career in business.
Angela's Story
10-year-old Angela was abandoned by her parents, who had too many children to be able to keep her. Alone on the streets of Bombay little Angela could so easily have become prey to one of the many gangs recruiting destitute children into the sex industry. The rest wouldn't bear contemplation. Through an annual donation from The Link Foundation, to a highly effective Partner Charity in Bombay, Angela has been housed in a very basic, but safe property along with 14 other girls. She loves the fact that she receives proper education, which is funded by TLF and which we all hope will help Angela build a much better life for herself than might have been predicted.
Summer at the Refuge
12 children in a local domestic violence refuge would not normally have expected a fun summer holiday, but thanks to TLF, this was made possible and a group of children, parents and refuge staff set of for a great week at the Butlins Resort in Minehead. You would only have to look at the children's faces as they set off on their adventure to realize how much this was appreciated!