Lisa* is a mum of two who recently received support through the Barnardo's poverty fund to purchase camping equipment so she could make positive summertime memories with her two children aged 15 and 10. Here, she shares her experience.
“I found out about the child poverty fund through my Barnardo’s support worker. She requested some money so I could spend quality time with the children, and the vouchers came through really quickly.
“The support lifted mine and my children’s spirits so much. It gave me hope, because sometimes I do feel hopeless trying to make ends meet. It’s amazing that Barnardo’s offers this support.
"The support lifted mine and my children's spirits so much"
“I used the vouchers to buy camping equipment: a tent, chairs, lights, sleeping bags and things like that. I thought it was a great idea with it being summer, and it’s something I can keep for the rest of my life.
“Once we had the equipment, I took the kids camping and they absolutely loved it. It was a new experience for them, and it was the best thing I chose to do. The weather was amazing as well!”
"They just lit up and I could tell they saw a change in me."
Lisa
“The experience was fantastic. It was the first time putting up a tent for all of us, so we did it together and worked as a team.
“My son would have stayed if he could - we didn’t want to go back home! We made some wonderful memories pitching our tent and building a fire together.
“It only cost me around £20 for the weekend. Obviously, I don’t have as much money as I did when I worked full time, but the support from Barnardo’s really took the pressure off me financially. It meant I only had to pay for the campsite and a little bit of fuel, but having the camping equipment took such a huge pressure off.
“It made me feel really happy. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way. And I saw that happiness in my kids as well. They just lit up and I could tell they saw a change in me.”
"I feel like I have things to look forward to now"
“I’ve always worried over the summer about what I can do with the kids. It’s not a nice feeling when you can’t do things with them, when you can’t afford to do anything. So, this experience was just great. I can’t put into words how much it changed for us.
“Over the rest of the summer, we’re going to keep taking small camping trips together on the weekends. Even if we just go somewhere local, it feels like you’re in a different place completely. The car is still packed up with the camping stuff and we can’t wait for our next trip. It’s doesn’t cost much but it’s an amazing way to make memories together.
“I can’t express how much Barnardo’s has helped. I feel like I have things to look forward to now and the support has been absolutely amazing.”
*Lisa’s name has been changed to protect her identity
“The support from Barnardo’s saved us for those few weeks… It really saved us.” - Ellie’s story
Ellie* is a single mum from Swindon who, along with her children, Daniel* (10) and Violet* (14), has received support from the Barnardo’s Swindon and Wiltshire Phoenix Project. This year, Ellie was able to buy food vouchers through our poverty fund to help her family cope with the cost-of-living.
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