We are appealing for funds to help a homeless couple in our hometown of Spalding, Lincolnshire. Their names are Jason and Jane. In a moment you can read about their plight in Jason’s own words, but first, more about this appeal.
We are aiming to raise enough money, for a few months rent, to enable Jason and Jane to be able to secure accommodation. We are running this appeal online for 7 weeks because we want to see them with a roof over their heads before Christmas. Once they have an address, they can access other areas of help currently not available to them. These include being able to register with a local doctors practice and receiving benefits. These are the first and most important factors, to allow them to get their feet back on the ladder, so to speak. We are appealing at the same time, through a local newspaper and also asking for landlords to come forward who have reasonably priced accommodation to let. This also includes owners of residential static caravan parks in the locality who may have a caravan for rent. We are aiming to make this into a community project, where individuals or groups can join us in making all of this possible, by doing fund-raising, through projects such as coffee mornings, sponsored walks etc. Being good neighbours to one another is very important. There will shortly, in about 2 weeks time, be a bank Treasurers’ Account available for donations to be paid into. Details to follow.
Now, please read in Jason’s own words, about his and Jane’s situation.
“We are Jane and Jason. We have been living in a tent in Spalding since the end of August 2017. We have been homeless since losing our tenancy earlier in the year because we was not aware we could claim housing benefit to help with our rent arrears, as we were both on a very low income.
Our situation has become so bad as we have no local connection to the area, so cannot get emergency help for accommodation and we are now left to survive on the street by Jane trying to sell her knitting and myself doing my art work, weather permitting.
Because with no address and ID we cannot get a doctors surgery to allow us to join, meaning we have no medication for our illnesses and sick notes for benefits. Jane suffers from depression and has on-going arthritis and I have had major surgery on a broken leg that happened finding somewhere to sleep in an empty building. I also suffer from epilepsy.
We was in a temporary hostel in Peterborough, but was evicted for having a toaster in our room, even though there was no rules saying we couldn’t have and we was not told that we wasn’t allowed to do so.
Life in a tent is difficult and on two occasions now, we have gone back to it being vandalised. Our property destroyed and our food and clothes thrown all around the area. Our health is now suffering and it’s the generosity of the passing public each day that help us survive and eat and keep ourselves.”
Please find it in your hearts to help this couple secure accommodation before Christmas by giving whatever you can afford to give. Between us, let’s make Christmas 2017 a warm, happy and secure one for them. Thank you.
To donate click here.