Morrisons supermarkets are helping to fight back against period poverty with their ‘package for Sandy’ service, which is now available at 497 stores nationwide for customers in need who can access a discreet package of sanitary protection products.  

The ‘Package for Sandy’ initiative was created and launched by Community Champion, Emma Parkinson, who came up with the idea to help vulnerable customers in her local area in Bolton. The service enables customers in need to go to any Morrisons customer service desk nationwide and ask for a package for ‘Sandy’ or a ‘period product pack’.

The customers will then be given a free discreet envelope with sanitary products and no questions asked. The ‘Package for Sandy’ is made up of a brown paper bag with two single sanitary towels and offers discreet support for those who may be in emergency need or are struggling for sanitary products.

At Caridon Foundation, we think this is an excellent imitative. It is shocking that so many females have to go without sanitary products through no fault of their own and we hope that Morrison’s initiative will encourage other large supermarket chains to offer a similar service.

#letsendperiodpoverty

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Under the government’s landmark Domestic Abuse Act councils will have to find accommodation for people made homeless through domestic abuse, helping to ensure victims do not remain with their abuser for fear of not having a roof over their head.

Previously, victims had to be assessed as being ‘vulnerable’ as a result of domestic abuse to be identified as having a priority need.
Under the new legislation, domestic abuse will be a standalone reason to qualify as needing this support.

This is one of the first of many measures to support victims and their children included in the Domestic Abuse Act to come into effect.

Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, Eddie Hughes MP said:

“Domestic abuse is a heinous crime and it is a tragedy that some victims remain with their abusers for fear of not having a roof over their head.

“Today’s change will mean all councils must find accommodation for victims who are homeless as a result of domestic abuse – ensuring they have a safe space to rebuild their lives.

“This is part of the government’s wide-ranging programme of support for domestic abuse victims under the landmark Domestic Abuse Act.”

Councils have been allocated £1.5 million this year to meet the changes – on top of £310 million that has been delivered through the Homelessness Prevention Grant so that councils can support those at risk of homelessness, including victims of domestic abuse.

Under the Domestic Abuse Act, councils will also have a new duty to help victims and their children access life-saving support in safe accommodation – backed by £125 million funding for 2021/22. Councils were provided with the funding in April so that they can start to fulfil those functions ahead of this duty coming into force later this year.

The government has taken action to help the most vulnerable in society during the pandemic, with an unprecedented £76 million pledged in May 2020 which ensured vital services including refuges, helplines and counselling remained accessible.

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Societal expectations and perception that seeking help is a sign of weakness means men are 40 per cent more likely than women to hide a mental health problem for two years or longer, and this is having fatal consequences.

On a positive note, there is much more awareness around this gender split.  Organisations, charities, celebrities and the media are all doing more to shine a spotlight on this issue and help to destigmatise the subject.

In addition, technology is playing an increasingly vital role in helping individuals to take the first step to seeking help. More GP surgeries are now offering remote appointments over the phone or via video chat, which we know from our own experience at Caridon Foundation of working with men suffering mental health issues, this can be preferable. Sometimes people find it very hard to explain their feels and fears face-to-face, but over the phone can feel less intense.

In addition, people can access NHS talking therapies or psychological therapies via self-referral online. This eliminates the requirement of speaking to a GP at all and can be preferable for some men who do not feel comfortable asking for support due to the stigma associated with it. E-therapy can also be provided to help people start treatment from the comfort of their home.

More information on this can be found HERE

The NHS also provides a range of mental wellbeing audio guides for people who perhaps don’t feel ready to speak to someone but need some guidance on navigating feelings of anxiety or low mood. These can be found HERE

There has also been a reported rise in mental health app usage and searches during the pandemic. In the digital world we now live, accessing information support via an app can be ideal for those who wish to remain completely anonymous and explore what they are feeling further before speaking to a medical practitioner.

A list of Apps recommended by NHS to help people manage their emotions, negative thoughts, and urges to self-harm can be found HERE

The main point of these services is to help remove pressure and fear for those who recognise they need some support but don’t know where to go to get it or are afraid to speak out.

Don’t suffer in silence. Please take your first step to positive mental health today.

#CaridonCares #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

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According to Office for National Statistics report, around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021 (27 January to 7 March); this is an increase since November 2020 (19%) and more than double that observed before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (10%).

As an organisation (Caridon Foundation) that works with vulnerable tenants, it is concerning to learn that those most likely to experience some form of depression are younger adults and women, disabled and clinically extremely vulnerable adults and people who rent homes as opposed to homeowners.

Caridon Foundation aims to help tenants who struggle to manage their finances and as a result, may face the risk of eviction. Focusing on financial characteristics, the pandemic has accelerated many financial fears, with around 1 in 3 (35%) adults who reported being unable to afford an unexpected but necessary expense of £850, experiencing depressive symptoms in early 2021, compared with 1 in 5 (21%) adults before the pandemic.

In addition, for working age adults aged 16 to 64 years, those with lower gross personal incomes of less than £10,000 a year had the highest rates of depressive symptoms (37%) when compared with all higher income groups.

The complexities and breadth of mental health cannot be examined in a single report, but what the data does show is that the impact of the pandemic on mental health is real and far reaching. Whilst lockdown eases, people can reunite with loved ones and businesses can start to recover losses, but for some people tackling the lasting damage to their mental health could take much longer.

The signs of mental illness can vary from person to person depending on a number of factors and can affect thoughts, emotions and behaviours in a range of different ways. It may start with simply feeling sad and down, having excessive fears or worries but lead on to suicidal thoughts. Symptoms may include excessive mood changes, extreme tiredness and low energy or trouble sleeping, an inability to cope with daily issues and a desire to turn to alcohol or drugs to cope.

We would urge any of our tenants who feel that their mental health is suffering to contact their Caridon Foundation support worker today.

#CaridonCares
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
#MHAW

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Starting from June, BT will launch a ‘market-leading social tariff’ called BT Home Essentials, connecting those in receipt of Universal Credit and anyone on legacy benefits such as Employment Support Allowance and Pension’s Credit, with affordable fibre broadband and calls.

The move is part of BT’s new pledge to support 4.6 million struggling households, after research by the telecommunications giant found that since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, almost three quarters (74%) of Brits would find it difficult to improve their financial situation without connectivity to the internet.

At Caridon Foundation, we know how important access to the internet and phone is to vulnerable individuals, not least to help them stay in touch with loved ones, particularly over the last year, but also to enable them to look for work and start to rebuild a life of independence. Fast, reliable connectivity has never been as important, especially as we know more people than ever need help getting back on their feet after the pandemic.

The package offers average download speeds of 36 Mbps and 700 minutes of calls for £15 a month – a saving of around £240 a year compared to its £27.99 Fibre Essential plan which applies for all other households.

Alternatively, eligible customers can also opt for average speeds of 67 Mbps and unlimited calls for £20 per month.

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With 2020 being a year like no other, we also want to highlight the importance of connection.  We know through our work at Caridon Foundation that so many people felt alone and anxious when the national lockdown limited our connection with others. Whether you’re already living with mental illness or not, long periods of isolation can be difficult.

Many of us have found new ways to stay in touch with one another but for some, the impact of Covid and the change to our way of life has only exacerbated their mental illness. But having someone to talk to about how you feel can be invaluable.

While the stigma around mental health appears to be slowly fading, The World Health Organization estimates that over 800,000 people take their own life each year – that’s one person every 40 seconds. So, if you are struggling or have any concerns at all, whether it is relationships, health worries, anxiety, financial stress, feeling isolated or helpless, and have had or are having suicidal thoughts, remember help is ALWAYS available – please talk to someone today.

If you need immediate help and are worried you can’t keep yourself safe, go to your nearest A&E department or call 999 if you can’t get to a hospital. If A&E isn’t an option, or you just want to talk to someone, here are some numbers:

Samaritans – for everyone
Call 116 123
Email jo@samaritans.org

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men
Call 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day

Papyrus – for people under 35
Call 0800 068 41 41 – Monday to Friday 9am to 10pm, weekends and bank holidays 2pm to 10pm
Text 07860 039967
Email pat@papyrus-uk.org

If you’re worried about someone, don’t be afraid to start a conversation. The Charity Mind recently tweeted some useful tips on this:

https://twitter.com/MindCharity/status/1303958904284549121

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This week, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that the Government would be providing an additional £105 million to help homeless people move into private rental market homes, as well as other accommodation types, as part of their Next Steps Accommodation Programme. Local councils can now apply for the funding, which is expected to support around 15,000 people, and funds can be used for guaranteed rent and incentives to landlords, deposit schemes and mediation support.

Mario Carrozzo, founder of Caridon Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which offers housing related support to tenants who are deemed vulnerable within the community, comments on this announcement:

“Firstly, local authorities should be commended on how efficiently they rose to the challenge of providing emergency accommodation for  people who were homeless. However, like many others, our main concern was that much of the accommodation provided was only available due to government restrictions put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus, which prevented such establishments from operating in their usual capacity.  Concern rose over whether these vulnerable people would be forced back to life on the streets after lockdown was eased.  We believed that if the budget and desire was there to end homelessness in the wake of a global pandemic, all but ending rough sleeping overnight, it was the perfect opportunity to go the extra mile and help people into longer term accommodation.

Our goal is, and has always been, to help people into more secure accommodation and provide support beyond this to ensure they sustain the tenancy. As an example, we recently teamed up with Brent Council to help find supported accommodation for 30 individuals who will no longer have to fear the risk of homelessness.

What we find is that many vulnerable ‘would be’ tenants are often locked out of accessing the private rented sector because of the stigma around letting to people in receipt of housing benefit. However, our experience of working in this field has demonstrated that more often than not, discrimination occurs because of the perception of the benefits system rather than an actual problem. This not only impacts people on low income, but also people with disabilities.

The key to breaking down these barriers and sustaining tenancies is assessment and then continued support, both for the tenant and the landlord – this drives confidence. Therefore, the announcement of further support from the Government as part of The Next Steps Accommodation Programme, is an extremely positive step forward. Through direct payments and mediation services, it will give landlords the confidence to help someone who has fallen on hard times or is deemed vulnerable.  However, essential to helping these individuals to rebuild their lives back into society, will be ensuring they are given ongoing assessments and support to help manage their finances, employment prospects and other aspects of daily life.”

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Caridon Foundation has been monitoring the guidelines on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak very closely over the past few weeks.  We are trying to minimise any disruption and maintain the essential service that we offer, but our priority is to protect the health and safety of our staff and our vulnerable service users, therefore all of our offices are currently closed.

We know that the service provided by Caridon Foundation, which helps tenants to successfully manage their tenancies, avoid eviction and improve their money management, is going to be even more critical during this difficult time.

Please see below the steps that we are taking to continue providing our service:

• Remote working arrangements

Our IT systems have allowed us to quickly adapt from office-based work to remote working with no interruption in services.

Although our offices remain closed and our staff are working remotely, we have put in place a skeleton service enabling our Housing Support Officers to provide support to our most vulnerable clients.  Our dedicated team are going above and beyond the call of duty, working beyond their normal hours, to assist them throughout this period of uncertainty, ensuring that they have access to food, medication and other essential items.

• Helping people move

We remain committed to helping those in need find suitable accommodation. Adhering to government advice on home moving, we are helping prospective new tenants move into vacant properties through our innovative non-face to face approach.

• Property Maintenance

As per the current government guidelines, we are carrying out emergency maintenance works only. Emergency repairs are those which would impact your health or safety if left unattended.

• Tenant Support

Our Housing Support Officers remain available and can be contacted by telephone or email for any queries.

We endeavour to continue providing a person-centered approach by keeping in regular in contact with all of our tenants via phone calls and through our out of hours service.

We are working to identify the most vulnerable tenants and doing all we can to provide extra support. In exceptional cases, designated staff members are delivering much needed food and other necessities to our most vulnerable tenants who are unable to leave their home.

We are also signposting tenants to local support agencies to help them through this difficult time.

Tenants who are worried about the financial impact of COVID-19 and their ability to pay rent, or those struggling with loss of employment and needing to apply for Universal Credit can contact us on 0203 897 24720 or email info@caridonfoundation.co.uk

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The London Sport Awards is London community sport’s showpiece event, recognising the best of the best of grassroots physical activity and sport in the capital. Each year, a collection of incredible individuals and groups are recognised for their outstanding work in helping Londoners to be more physically active. This year, the awards received a staggering 284 nominations, from which eleven industry expert judges faced the challenge of selecting just 29 inspirational individuals, organisations and projects to be shortlisted, one of which was Caridon Foundation Eagles.

The Caridon Foundation Eagles football team began in the Summer of 2019 following a successful bid for funding from the Mayor of London’s Grant Scheme to get Londoner’s more active. Caridon Foundation was looking for an activity that would engage some of its tenants who find it difficult to access other ‘more formal’ forms of support. “We were particularly keen to engage tenants who struggle with mental health and/or substance misuse issues, as the evidence that physical activity improves mental wellbeing is overwhelming” said Ebenezer Amoh of Caridon Foundation.

The grant by the Mayor enabled Caridon Foundation Eagles to run a very successful 12-week Summer Programme, in partnership with Crystal Palace’s disability coach Michael Harrington from Palace for Life Foundation. Palace for Life Foundation is the official charity of Crystal Palace Football Club, who help young South Londoners grow through the power of sport, inspiring them to find a better path in life.

Caridon Foundation Eagles then went on to receive a grant from Croydon Council to continue the project. To date, more than 50 men with various emotional, physical and cognitive difficulties have taken part in the programme.

Comment on being named as finalists at the 2020 London Sport Awards, Mario Carrozzo, CEO of the Caridon Group, said “The London Sport Awards is the largest celebration of community grassroot physical activity and sport, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to showcase our hard work, which demonstrates the power of activity in changing Londoners’ lives for the better. We will continue support the Caridon Foundation Eagles and hope to see more of our tenants sign up over the coming year.”

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Caridon Foundation Eagles, an adult mental health football team in Croydon run by Palace for Life Foundation and set up by Caridon Foundation, have joined Crystal Palace players, Andros Townsend and Rea Laudat, to support the Duke of Cambridge’s Heads Up campaign in speaking out about mental health. The interview is due to air on BT Sport One on Saturday 8 February from 11.15am ahead of Palace’s Premier League fixture away at Everton.

Caridon Foundation, part of Caridon Group, is a not-for-profit organisation which offers housing related support to tenants that are deemed vulnerable within the community. They work with people who often have multiple social disadvantages, including those with mental health issues, to provide tenancy sustainment and support services. This includes avoiding eviction processes, improving money management, promoting independence and linking them into long term support, resulting in the tenant remaining in their property for longer and moving onto long term housing options.

Understanding the importance that physical wellbeing has on mental health, Caridon Foundation formed the Caridon Foundation Eagles. The football team, which has weekly coaching sessions run by Palace for Life, was set up to give tenants the opportunity to play football with likeminded people in a safe and friendly environment and become part of a strong support network.

On Tuesday 4^th February, CF Eagles were given the opportunity to join Crystal Palace players, Andros Townsend and Rea Laudat, at Selhurst Park, to be involved in a Mental Health Awareness Session as part of the Duke of Cambridge’s Heads Up campaign.It encourages fans, players and managers to #kickoffaconversation around mental health, targeting males aged primarily 18-42 to raise awareness of mental wellbeing. Players were filmed discussing their own experiences with mental health.

Townsend discussed his own former struggles with a gambling addiction and how it had made him realise the importance of opening up. One of the Eagles players, Smooth, suffered from depression following a period of homelessness. Like Townsend, he has found solace in football and is now feeling far more positive about his future.

Mario Carrozzo, who set up Caridon Foundation, said: “For those struggling with mental health, often admitting it and asking for help is the hardest part, especially for those who feel like they have no one to turn to. Through sport, some of our tenants have found a support network and we’re seeing the positive impact it is having on their mental well-being. We hope by sharing their stories in this interview, others will be inspired to speak up and make a positive change to their lives.”

Watch the interview in full on BT Sport One on Saturday 8 February from 11.15am

https://www.palaceforlife.org/news/disability-sport/townsend-and-laudat-join-community-players-to-support-heads-up/

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