Changing Vulnerable Lives
We’ve helped people in need for over 140 years; our work remains as vital as ever.
Since 1876 Charity Link has been working to ensure that people in need are warm, safe and fed and have the basics in life that we all deserve. We believe that until these basic needs are met, it is simply not possible for people to move forward and reach their full potential.
Whatever crisis, illness, disability or difficulty someone is facing, we aim to be there to ensure that individuals and families in financial hardship throughout Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire receive help. This is only possible with the support of the local community.
We help thousands of people every year, a third of which are children and young people. And, behind every statistic, there is a personal - and sometimes heart-breaking - story. Your support really does change lives.
Will, who had been homeless, cried when our team let him know that we could help him get back on his feet. Will suffers from a physical disability which impacts his mobility. He has also been diagnosed with a number…
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Peter has a number of complex and serious mental health conditions, including Paranoid Schizophrenia, which have led to previous detentions under the mental health act and long stays in hospital throughout his adult life. He continues to receive significant treatment…
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Eda was referred by a housing officer. She is in her sixties and suffers from a number of health conditions, including arthritis, and she struggles with her mobility after a number of knee and hip operations. Due to these issues…
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Life has been very tough for Daylan and his two children. They spent time living in a depressing, damp flat as, due to the pandemic, repair work was being prioritised by the council and they were unable to get improvement…
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Teenager Zoe lived with her grandma, becoming her full-time carer before she sadly passed away recently. This turned Zoe’s world upside down. Not only was she grieving, she also had to find somewhere new to live and faced hardship as…
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Claire was referred by her tenancy support officer after facing many challenges. Whilst pregnant she left the father of her children due to domestic violence. The baby was born with a serious health issue and needed surgery. Claire stayed with…
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Shannon is a single mum with two children. She was made redundant as a result of the pandemic and found herself struggling to make ends meet with her Universal Credit payments. She had also recently become the main carer for…
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Skye and her young son became homeless after she lost her job in hospitality and couldn’t afford the rent on the private let that they lived in. They have now been re-homed in a council property but this is unfurnished and…
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John’s search for work was made extremely difficult due to the pandemic. He is a recent care leaver and has no family and very few friends which has made him feel isolated and alone. He now has his first ever proper…
Read MoreIn the last three months together, we have helped 1791 people, including 761 children and provided £286,665 of support.
That's 1643 items to help improve vulnerable people's lives.
66
417
223
27
438
252
In the last three months together, we have helped 1778 people, including 717 children and provided £535,349 of support.
133
392
213
75
That's 2053 items to help improve vulnerable people's lives.
437
299
Who we help
Charity Link helps people of all ages and backgrounds who find themselves in financial hardship, including:
- Frail elderly people
- Victims of domestic violence
- Carers
- People with a chronic illness or disability
- Those facing mental health issues
- People impacted by job losses or those in low paid work or on zero hour contracts
- People who have been affected by family breakdown or bereavement
- Those in crisis, such as after a fire in the home
- Working families struggling to make ends meet
- Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we have also helped thousands of people who have been directly impacted (including those who have lost jobs and livelihoods and those who are struggling due to long-COVID). Read our COVID Impact Review which outlines all we achieved together during the first year of the pandemic. Our Impact Review (found in our Downloads section) also provides further information.
- People finding themselves in need due to the cost of living crisis
Where we work
Charity Link began helping people in need in Leicester in 1876. In 1975 we expanded our work across all of Leicestershire and Rutland and in 2012 we further expanded to help those in need in Northamptonshire.
The support we offer
We help by providing everyday items that the majority of us take for granted, such as clothing, a bed to sleep in, a cooker to prepare a hot meal, and, in emergencies, food. These items may not cost much, but they can make a massive difference to people’s lives, both immediately and long term. They can help restore dignity, independence, hope for the future, and enable people to fulfil their potential in life.
How we work
We work with over 250 local organisations that are out in the community working with individuals and families in need. We support these organisations, along with professionals working with those in need (teachers, GPs etc.), to assist them in referring clients to us for support via our application process. Working in this way keeps our overheads to a minimum, increases the efficiency of our services and ensures that we get the help to those who need it when they need it most. Once a referral is received, we act immediately. If the need is urgent we can help the same day.
OUR UNIQUE SERVICE: TURNING YOUR £10 DONATION INTO £50 OF ESSENTIAL ITEMS
Our dedicated team have an expert knowledge (gained over our long history) of the thousands of benevolent funds and charitable trusts in the UK that have money to assist people in need.
This means that for every £10 donated (which funds our vital casework service), we can raise £50 from charitable trusts that are available to help people in need – 100% of that £50 goes directly to provide essential items.
Once we have obtained the necessary funding for a client, we purchase the goods so desperately needed and deliver them direct and install them if required (often via our social enterprise, The Goods Depot).
Every pound you raise or donate really will change lives.
For every £10 you donate we can raise £50 from charitable trusts.
£5
= £25
£10
= £50
£30
= £150
£100
= £500
All of that £50 goes directly to provide essential items for people in need,
meaning your kind gift really will change lives.
For every £10 you donate we can raise £50 from charitable trusts.
All of that £50 goes directly to provide essential items for people in need,
meaning your kind gift really will change lives.
£5
= £25
£30
= £150
£10
= £50
£100
= £500
"For me in these tough times you have been a huge help. I am extremely grateful – without you guys I would have really struggled. Thank you.”
