St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity gives emergency grants to frontline organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness or insecure housing. Our team regularly secure its £500 grants to help cover deposits or initial rents for new homes for participants – helping people to avoid homelessness or move on from supported accommodation.

“Housing is vital for people leaving prison, rehab, and other facilities,” says Rebecca Pearce, Communications Manager for St Martin-in-the-Fields. “Without a stable base to go to, the challenge of moving on – whether that is away from crime, or away from substance use – is made much more difficult. If someone is immediately faced with being on the streets or sofa-surfing, they are in many ways set up to fail. Access to a safe, stable home is essential.

“At St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity, our goal is that homelessness is prevented. When it does occur, though, people should receive the best possible support to secure and keep a safe place to live.

“We work toward this goal in three ways: providing funding to people and organisations, supporting frontline workers, and advocating for change with the public, funders and policymakers.

“We can’t do this alone. We work collaboratively with charities across the UK to achieve our goals.

“We distribute our emergency grants to people who need help to move into new accommodation or to prevent their eviction.

“Recycling Lives Charity frequently uses these, applying for grants of up to £500. These can go towards accessing accommodation or preventing an eviction, often by paying for a deposit or rent in advance. These grants break down the cost barrier of moving away from homelessness, and are a part of the package of support often needed for someone to move to new accommodation.

“RL’s team provide information on who they are helping, the tenancy they are setting up, and how we can help. We work to turn around their request within five days, meaning their clients can quickly pay the fees needed to secure or keep a home.

“St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity’s emergency grants support access to safe, stable homes – not just helping people move into accommodation, but providing the platform for people to rebuild their lives.”

Pictured above is our Housing Officer, Hayley