The Need

 

I am raising funds for London Catalyst which provides immediate help to people leaving hospital and in care who are struggling with chronic ill health and living in poverty. Funds meet very basic needs - food, clothing, bedding - for people who are destitute. Last year the charity helped 1,618 people in desperate need including:

 

Groceries to ease the return home from hospital for a frail older lady with dementia

Clothing and a travel card for a woman who when diagnosed with breast cancer was forced to leave her job as a nanny

Second hand furniture to encourage a homeless older man from his home in an abandoned car into sheltered accommodation

Toiletries and clothing for a heart patient with no income admitted to hospital

Bedding for a single mother with 5 children fleeing domestic violence

Funds help people impoverished by illness, accident or disability. Many find themsleves ineligible for public funds, incapable of accessing them or caught by bureaucratic delays. The average award is just £32.

 

 “..we can now provide grants to people in desperate need of food and personal care” Community Mental Health Team, Redbridge

 

 “..funding is invaluable” ‘ a life saver for resettling vulnerable people’ Housing Support Services (Elders), Hammersmith & Fulham

 

 The History

 

In 1873 the Lord Mayor of London brought together civic leaders to establish an appeal to help the ‘sick and poor’ of London and agreed that each year a collection should be made to improve the health of Londoners. The founding members of this ‘Metropolitan Hospital-Sunday Fund’ (MHSF) included Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Henry Smith MP. MHSF became London Catalyst in 1999.

 

The Philanthropist

 

One of the original benefactors was George Herring (1832-1906) who was brought up in the slums of Clerkenwell and began work as a carver in a boiled beef shop. Possessing a shrewd instinct for gambling he began with horses before graduating to the less virtuous speculations of the City where he amassed a substantial fortune. He lived modestly and championed the social reforms of the day; public hospitals and the work of General Booth’s Salvation Army. He was a great supporter of the Hospital Sunday Fund and challenged others to give and pledged £10,000 a year from 1899 until his death. With this and other donations he gave a staggering £900,000 to the fund which is in excess of £80m today.

 

The Challenge

 

The more money we raise the more people we can help. I would not expect you to match George Herring’s generosity, although you are more than welcome, but a donation of £32 will help someone in dire straits and every penny donated goes directly to those in need.

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.