Enabling people to take a step or make a transition in their lives

Haringey residents experiencing disadvantage may face significant challenges when making the smallest, but essential changes to their lives. Our Changing Lives programme provides an immediate impact for people in Haringey at key and specific stages of their journey. Grants up to £750 may be used to enable people take a step or make a transition towards a more fulfilling life, however small the step may be.

These high-impact grants may be used by a person to overcome significant challenges in their life that they would not otherwise be able to overcome. Examples could include:

• building confidence and new life skills
• improving wellbeing
• accessing training and employment
• recovering from physical illness by accessing fitness equipment and training
• overcoming mental ill health through counselling sessions
• buying books for study to gain a qualification
• getting appropriate clothes when starting a new job
• accessing a computer or wi-fi to overcome digital exclusion
• helping towards the costs of moving home
• enabling a homeless person to buy a ticket to see their family
• for someone to purchase driving lessons in order to get a job or be more independent.

Inspired by the Changing Lives fund?

Donate now     Fundraise here     Partner with us

How the funding works

The micro-grants are effective because they can harness the momentum of the recipient's interest or enthusiasm without having to deal with complicated bureaucratic processes.

Our first round of Changing Lives awarded funding to 6 local partners, who in turn supported over 70 individuals

The funds enabled some people to retrain, access courses, buy equipment and tools, and gain new employment at the time when many had lost their existing jobs. For example, gaining sports coaching qualifications, passing driving test or being able to buy study books. Others were able to access counselling, engage in activities as family groups and build bonds that supported better mental health and wellbeing, reduced loneliness and enabled better connections between peers and family units. Some young people benefited from computers and equipment that enabled them to access their education and engage with courses and hobbies or learn new skills.

The size and scale of micro awards varied, for example, from £25 to enrol to sports coaching course, to £170 for study books.

Added support through our trusted local partners

Changing lives is delivered through trusted local grassroots organisations including not-for-profit groups and registered charities who are already helping people through transition and change. Our current delivery partners have helped individuals to decide on the direction of travel and to use their micro grant to reach support that worked best for them, their individual circumstances and needs. Other support people may have accessed through the our delivery partners includes:

• skills around financial management
• advice and guidance
• personal development
• help around transition and change
• setting up their own business

The funds may not be used to duplicate any other support that may be available to the individual and funds are directly managed by the partner organisation.

Want to support the Changing Lives fund?

Haringey Giving is expanding the Changing Lives grant programme this year, which is supported by donations from the public and our partners.

Donate now     Fundraise here     Partner with us

Thank you for your kind support