Help us support more people in crisis

Please donate to our fundraising campaign

The cost-of-living crisis is having a severe impact on the lives of people across our communities.

With the rise in the cost of energy bills and millions of people in the UK being unable to feed themselves or their families, we anticipate an increase in demand for our services to support people on low incomes over the coming months.

According to Trussell Trust’s The True Cost of Living Report survey, half of people are either already behind on their bills or are facing a constant struggle to keep up with them, two in five (40%) have already fallen into debt following the Universal Credit cut last autumn and more than half (56%) report that they are going without at least one of the absolute essentials we all need to keep warm, fed and clothed.

We want to be able to support as many people as possible through this with Octavia’s personalised and tailored support services. These services include:

• one-to-one assistance with debt and benefit concerns
• advice and guidance into training and new, or higher paid, employment
• support in accessing food and home energy, and
• supporting isolated and vulnerable people in our communities

Last year our Outreach team helped more than 4,000 people in need of support through home visits, welfare checks, telephone calls and signposting. Nearly 400 people were referred on to other services, so that they were able to get the support they needed.

Our Befriending team made 46 new befriending matches for older, isolated people, creating meaningful connections and long-lasting friendships for people in need of companionship. This was in addition to providing ongoing support to over a hundred existing service users in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

During the covid pandemic we increased our support across our outreach services. Many people became reliant on us for food (we supplied 615 food vouchers or food parcels last year) or came to us seeking help with managing their finances on a reduced income.

With the current cost-of-living crisis providing even more pressure on communities, we know local people are going to need our help even more. That's why we have launched a campaign to help us raise funds to support more people facing isolation, loneliness and hardship and we are asking individuals and organisations for their support.

If you can help by making a donation, please click on the link below.

Donate to our Supporting People in Crisis campaign today.

Live well & connect

With the rising cost of living – food is becoming a huge expense for people, bills are becoming unmanageable. Our support after the pandemic will not be diminishing but needed even more – our frontline service will be able to offer something valuable to these people facing new hardships: a listening ear, long term support and human connection.  Please donate, if you can, today.” Jemma Callue – Octavia Better Lives Project Assistant