The Cost of Living Appeal with ELBA & BIG Alliance 2023

The Cost of Living Appeal is a prompt response to the impact of inflation and rising prices - we are all feeling it, however for some parts of our community it is more than tightening belts.

We have heard of families going to libraries and warm hubs after school so they can delay switching the heating on, the high and sustained demand at foodbanks, families giving up on broadband connections and unable to get laptop repairs for their children's to learn at home. We have heard of people not talking daily showers and children coming to school with ill fitting, poor condition and missing uniform. We have heard of people too sacred to open their utility bills and elderly people in dire housing conditions forced to keep the heating on for their homes to be at all habitable. Shockingly, these are all things we have heard from speaking with community groups in the first two weeks of January alone.

How can you help?

We asked our community partners what their service users needed. The answer is simple:

Essential Items - we can take direct donations or via our JustGiving page but a more engaging alternative is to get teams of colleagues engaged in raising funds and buying the items. ELBA & BIG Alliance will supply a detailed list of things which are really needed from the three strands that we have identified below and volunteers can help sort the items into individual packs for distribution through our community partners. ELBA & BIG Alliance will ensure that 100% of everything which is donated reaches a family or individual in need through our strong community links.

1. Keeping warm - blankets, duvets, sleeping bags

2. Keeping clean - hygiene packs for children and adults; household cleaning items

3. Looking after baby - nappies, wipes, food for older infants and associated items

Other ways to help:

Please contact challenge@elba-1.org.uk if you would like more information and find out about others ways to support.