What We Believe In 

• Relationships first – We see ourselves as standing with individuals and families in crisis – supporting them compassionately, first and foremost.
• Giving time and space – We try to give people as much time as they need to talk through what might be a range of problems in a safe place.  (We’re not going to tell them their time is up after 15 minutes.)
• Getting our hands dirty - We don’t just advise.  We also provide practical support.  We’ll support the homeless, fill in a form, provide access to a phone or the internet, help write a CV.  We’ll take a young mum or dad to the supermarket to buy toiletries and what she or he needs for their baby.  We arrange carpeting, furniture, removals, or grants towards these.  If we can’t, we generally know someone who can!
• Helping the whole person – Often it is a food box and debt help that’s required in the first instance but, to begin the process of getting a resolution, there can be many obstacles in the way that need dealing with.  Therefore, as examples, it’s not uncommon for us to call a landlord to fix a broken door, to take a hot meal to a homeless person, to find a home for a pet or to help with many more day-to-day issues.Sometimes we address these ourselves, and sometimes we refer to a trusted partner but all the while maintaining contact to help towards a satisfactory outcome.
• Involving those with ‘lived’ experience – We actively encourage providing opportunities for the ‘experts who’ve lived through it’!  This includes volunteering as well as hearing feedback to inform and improve our services.
• A better future – We believe that our current circumstances do not have to determine our future.  Immeasurably more!
• A fairer world for all, especially poorer and marginalised families - We will speak up and add our voice, along with others, to challenge unfair structures that keep people trapped in hardship.