1 in 4 children in Milton Keynes are living below the breadline and in poverty, unable to access services and support they need. 

Milton Keynes Storehouse is a church project at my church in MK that gives families and individuals good quality, free clothes - sometimes new - to give people hope and dignity back. 

It's so much more than clothes.  It shows people they matter, their dignity and wellbeing matter, and volunteers take the time to have tea, biscuits cake and find out how they can support and signpost  people to other vital services to break the cycle of poverty,  and just take the time to listen and reach out to people. 

The Storehouse is an amazing grassroots project, and is running out of space.  They really need a second site, to continue providing to people in desperate need.  Grand Union Vineyard/Storehouse are hoping to open a second site in one of the most deprived areas of Milton Keynes , Netherfield.  This is where our church is based. 

It's where I work at the winter night shelter, for homeless people. The storehouse allow us to give donated items straight to the guests at the shelter, if they need, and are our main source of referrals and signposting guests to a place where they can get clean and good quality clothes and shoes year round. 

Netherfield is also where I support some children in the local school, and where some of the families I provide services live.  I have signposted three of the families I work with, in the Netherfield area to the storehouse , who were in desperate need. Trapped in a cycle of poverty, by disability, unable to work due to the high needs and demands of a severely intellectually disabled (and physically disabled child) and circumstance. 

Two of those families have been refugee families trying to set up a life in a country of peace, with a hostile environment to foreigners, and very little state help available.

I provide some limited services to these families at low or no cost, as they desperately need behavioural services they aren't eligible for. But I can't solve their poverty situation. I had kids on my caseload with no winter shoes, and no winter coats. One set of pajamas and three sets of clothes, including underwear. That was their wardrobe. 

If I hadn't had the storehouse to refer them to for clothes, I wouldn't have known where to get them the help and dignity they needed. 

But those families had to travel across MK to the current storehouse site. That's actually really hard with autism, intellectual disability and young children.  More than one bus, which usually needs to be paid for out of awfully little money, and clothes carried back. 

If the storehouse could establish a site in the area that the need for its services and support is greatest, that would be so, so helpful to families living in poverty in that area of Milton Keynes. It's also much more central for people across the city to get to than the current site. 

Obviously establishing a second site and moving, takes money. So I'm going against my better judgment with endometriosis pain still not entirely sorted, and walking 25 km around Milton Keynes for the 1:4 (25%) of kids living in serious poverty to fundraise for the new site. 

(&to prove that endometriosis and chronic illness doesn't stop you doing things and living your life- but that's another story.  I will just say this:  15 months ago I couldn't walk a mile to the local co-op and back without having to get the bus back or picked up due to immense pain.  I am now much better, but even though I used to walk *a lot*, it's still not a small thing to attempt to walk this distance in one go again.) 

It would be brilliant if you would support me in fundraising for the storehouse, and make a crazy long walk worth it!