The Campden Charities has built a well-resourced staff team with the time and space to sustain supportive relationships with those receiving or applying for assistance. Working in this way enables us to engage with families and individuals to tailor the support we can offer.
How do we work?
We prioritise achieving results for families and individuals whether we give support to them directly or fund other organisations to help them. We want to help individuals and families to make a real difference to their lives. We recognise that to make a change is not easy and takes time. Once we establish that a household fits our criteria we tailor our support to the family’s needs. We stay in touch with individuals and families and continue to help them with barriers they may face. We provide grant packages to encourage and assist an individual’s progress towards employment. Our Grants Officers visit every household; we believe that forming a relationship is the first step in understanding a family’s needs and finding the best way to support them.
To help us focus on tackling the underlying causes of poverty and disadvantage, we have developed objective criteria to assess the financial hardship of individuals and households in our area of benefit. Please note that our area of benefit only extends to the old Parish of Kensington.
While we cannot guarantee you that you will meet our criteria or will be awarded a grant, please do contact us if you:
Live in Kensington;
Are a British or Irish citizen, or have Leave to Remain or Settled status in the UK;
Are not a homeowner;
Receive benefits or are in low-paid work.
How do we support people looking for work?
Obtaining employment is rarely the end of the journey to financial independence. Adults who have been unemployed for prolonged periods tend to lose their confidence, particularly if they find themselves caught in a ‘benefits trap’ and would be financially worse off by taking up employment.
We help families who are unable to take up training opportunities that would lead to employment because paying for childcare is beyond their means. Entry-level jobs are usually poorly paid and short term, and the transition from dependence on statutory benefits can be drawn-out and dispiriting.
People living in poor and disadvantaged circumstances are often at risk of missing out on formal education opportunities. Without considerable personalised advice and extended financial support, such as that available through the Campden Charities, they are less likely to develop skills that would improve their employment prospects.
How do we support people in work?
Although there are signs that unemployment is low, the number of people in low paid work has increased, as has the number on part time, temporary and zero hour contracts. We want to ensure that, once in employment, our beneficiaries continue to receive support to improve their circumstances and future employment prospects. This could mean continuing to support training costs, child care, travel to work etc. Grants Officers remain in contact with beneficiaries, identifying appropriate support at different stages of the journey to sustainable employment.
Through a partnership with Nucleus Legal Advice Centre, we also offer advice and training in managing household and personal expenditure for people whose debt has escalated out of control and is preventing them from getting their lives back on track.
How do we support people who can’t work yet?
For people who are not yet ready to work, due to health problems or care commitments, we can provide other forms of support. This may include helping them to participate in activities including exercise and short courses, or providing advice, guidance and workshops designed to enable people to engage with the Charities with a view to working towards employment in the future. We work with a range of organisations in the area and can connect our clients to local communities to end their isolation and expand their support network.
The Charities’ funding also supports people with activities and grants to improve their home environment.