Impact Update – Italian Job 2018
The 2018 Italian Job was a truly incredible experience and raised over £92,000 for Buttle UK’s Chance for Children Grant. It was an absolutely outstanding result and everyone at Buttle UK is incredible grateful for the generous support of all the teams along with their friends and family.
Since January this year, Buttle UK has been distributing the funds raised from this event as Chances for Children grants- supporting the specific needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and help them to turn their lives around. To date we’ve been able to distribute 80% of the funds raised, providing 68 Chances for Children grants.
So far we have given grants in 39 local authorities ensuring that funds reach children and young people who local to where our different teams are based.
When it comes to the essential things every child should have, we don’t believe in choosing between a bed to sleep in or important school supplies or an activity that a child loves to do. Ensuring multiple needs are met gives the child a better chance to overcome crisis and hardship. Here is a breakdown of the types of items and activities we’ve funded to date through the Italian Job.
| Grant Items | No of Items | Value of Items |
|---|---|---|
| Sport, Art, Music and Leisure Activities | 62 | £13,427 |
| Therapy | 19 | £9,640 |
| Home Appliances | 39 | £8,702 |
| IT Equipment | 25 | £7,830 |
| Bed and/or Bedding | 40 | £6,939 |
| Children’s Clothing | 27 | £5,229 |
| Carpeting and Flooring | 11 | £3,687 |
| School Uniform and Equipment | 20 | £3,604 |
| Home Furnishing | 19 | £3,001 |
| Tuition | 7 | £2,904 |
| Storage Furniture | 11 | £2,604 |
| Educational Toys and Books | 15 | £1,780 |
| Safety and Special Equipment | 2 | £1,630 |
| Course Materials | 5 | £1,294 |
| Activities for the Family | 5 | £1,059 |
| Travel Costs | 6 | £871 |
| Home Decorations | 3 | £525 |
| School Trip | 1 | £138 |
| TOTAL | 317 | £74,864 |
Each grant is a unique package of support to meet the needs of children and young people when it comes to their home environment, to their education and to their social development and wellbeing. Our grants can reach up to £2000 per household, but will vary in size depending on the needs of a child, family or young person.
As you can see above, in almost every case we’ve funded some form of after-school, sport, leisure or arts activities. This is so often the first things to be cut when families are struggling to keep their head above the water. Many of the children we support are in situations where they are isolated from their peers and struggle with their mental health. The chance to take part in a sport or club or group activities, makes a huge difference and really helps them feel like a normal kid again.
Because of our bespoke grant tracking system, we can provide each of the fundraising teams with their own report about where and what their funds support. These reports will be sent out as soon as funding for each team’s area has been completely spent.
We will also be able to share the individual stories of the children and young people you have helped. Many of the stories you read will be children just like Blair, Madison and Erica, who were supported through Jobber’s fundraising efforts.
Last December, Blair (aged 13), Madison (aged 12), Erica (aged 8) and their mother fled their home, leaving behind everything they owned, so they could escape their abusive father. Living in a women’s shelter for the past six months, the whole family has been working to recover from years of abuse. All three girls have mental health challenges related to the trauma of living in a violent and controlling household and require regular one on one counselling. The children have also been forced over the years to move school multiple times, disrupting their education and leaving them isolated without many friends.
The family is a now at a point where they need to move into their own flat. Due to a lack of council housing in the region, they will have to move towns again, and have been matched to a private rental scheme. The mother has been advised that if the family reduces all monthly outgoings, then things should be ‘just about affordable’. The whole family want this move to be permanent so they can finally settle down and rebuild. However, after everything they have been through, they need more than just ‘food on the table’ to successfully make this transition.
With your support, our Chances for Children grants are helping to give Blair, Madison and Erica a proper fresh start. You have funded after-school clubs and activities for each of the girls so they can properly socialise and make new friends. This is giving them something fun to look forward to as they start at yet another new school. You have also funded new school uniforms for all three girls, an expense which their mother didn’t know how she could afford on her bare-bones budget. Finally, you have also helped purchase a fridge-freezer as there wasn’t one provided in the flat. This is essential to ensuring the girls can have regular and nutritious meals, while keeping expenses down. With your help, we hope this move will be everything Blair, Madison and Erica wish for.
Names have been changed to protect client anonymity
