Here’s how we support the North Cotswold community
Through the network of primary school Parent Support Advisers, Health Visitors, District Nurses and Home-Start, North Cotswold Community Awareness provides help in the form of children’s clothing, school uniform, shoes, books, stationery, toys, baby equipment and household goods.
Assistance is given with funding when professional counselling or therapy is required for psychologically damaged children, or when it is considered a child would benefit from social interaction or an unaffordable school trip.
Supporting Vulnerable Families
Despite all the outward signs of affluence, the North Cotswolds has a large number of low-income families experiencing tremendous financial hardship and deprivation. It is a fact that almost 25% of people working in the Cotswolds earn less than the living wage which impacts seriously the ability of parents to provide, sometimes even the most basic necessities, for themselves and their children.
In 2010 a voluntary organisation ‘Community Awareness’ (CA) was established to raise awareness of the challenges faced by these families, who struggle to do the right thing by trying to provide for their families. Health and social problems often add to the difficulties they face, and the main concern of CA is that of the children, who through no fault of their own find themselves living in less than desirable conditions. Sometimes, there is not even a bed for them to sleep on!
Agencies such as Parent Support Advisers (working in primary schools), Health Visitors, District Nurses, and Home-Start give support to the families, and it is through these agencies that CA is able to provide help. Statutory funding is unavailable for most of the situations that arise.
Community Awareness is able to respond immediately when there is an urgent requirement for funds to alleviate the various crises that occur.
Helping Low-Income Families
Local families are really struggling to feed, clothe and provide a warm, safe environment for their families. Community Awareness provides help with the basics of the household budget. We don’t give out cash, but we can provide food parcels, supermarket food vouchers, children’s clothes and shoes, as well as essential white goods for the home.
The stress of avoiding debt, or trying to get out of debt can take a huge toll on the mental health of parents and this has a knock-on effect on the whole family. Community Awareness works with amazing local play and family therapists to try to alleviate the tension of constant stress – making the family home happier and safer.
Providing Christmas Parcels
We all know that Christmas is a time for families and from October onwards we are all bombarded with images of happy families with groaning tables of food and stockings well-filled with presents. This is not within the reach of many of the families we support, where simply feeding their children every day is a struggle.
Each year the families designated by the agencies as being the most desperate for help, receive two deliveries from North Cotswold Community Awareness.
The first is in early December and contains a gift for each child in the family, plus toiletries, stationery, a family game, puzzles, books and crackers. We also provide wrapping paper so that the parent(s) are able to “own” the gifts – they come from them.
Just before Christmas, we provide enough fresh food for the holiday period – locally sourced meat, fruit and vegetables, with some festive treats like mince pies and biscuits.
In 2010 we delivered to 15 local families, last year we reached over 100 families thanks to Mid Counties Co-Operative Society, Paddock Farm butchers, North Cotswold Rotary Club and many donations from local schools, private individuals and businesses.
During the pandemic, we shifted to providing vouchers instead of physical presents and were able to support more families than ever.