Lottery award ensures we can help women dealing with the cost of living crisis

Shortly before Christmas we were delighted to learn that the National Lottery has awarded us £60,000 to support our ongoing contribution to the fight against poverty in the city.

We have been struck by a noticeable increase in the number of women we see here at the New Futures Project who are experiencing crippling financial hardship arising from the ‘cost of living’ crisis’.

This new money, from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund, means a number of things can happen now.

We will be able to employ new members for our team and ensure we keep our warm and inviting drop-in centre stocked up with food and other essentials.

While women and young people are with us, our drop-in staff serve up hot drinks and nutritious meals and give out food parcels and clothing. 

However, in the time those clients are with us, we are able to talk to them and establish each individual’s specific needs. Then, we can prepare a care plan for them to ensure they get the right support.

Also, we offer budgeting advice and information on cooking cheaper meals using the ingredients, including fresh fruit and vegetables, in the food parcels we hand out.

The National Lottery cash will also ensure we can continue to run group activities to help alleviate some of the symptoms of mental ill-health associated with isolation and poverty.

Carl Martin, direct services manager at the New Futures Project, said: “We are very appreciative of this funding. 

“We are very busy trying to support people through our drop-in service and this funding will mean we can continue to support our existing clients and also maintain a high standard of service for all the new referrals we are receiving as a result of the cost of living crisis.”

The Government’s Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.Grants support charities and community organisations in England at the frontlineof dealing with the increase in the cost-of-living.

New Futures was set up more than 20 years ago to support women involved in sex work.

However, we have evolved into a welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation – frequently involving domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.

Call us on 0116 251 0803 or send us a message at: info@new-futures.org.uk

You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.