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“After the initial emergency response, there were a couple of weeks when Family Action’s grants were the only ones available for Grenfell residents to apply for. It was really good that Family Action contacted those working on the ground to find out what the families actually needed. Giving grants through us meant residents could go to centres they were already familiar with. Grants were flexible to give people what they needed. We were struck in particular by now many people wanted a grant to enable them to get away from the area. If you supported this grants service you made a good choice, you can be assured that 100% went to resident of the tower or Grenfell Walk, and these grants have reached nearly everyone. We’ve been really impressed with how Family Action have done everything and I would encourage people to continue supporting them

Howard, The ClementJames Centre, referral partner

In the early hours of the morning of the 14th June 2017 a horrific fire engulfed the 24 storey Grenfell Tower in West London.

By mid morning Family Action had set up a Justgiving page to raise money for the families and individuals affected and within a fortnight we launched a financial grants programme. Our long history and experience of delivering grants helped ensure the programme was efficient and effective in reaching those who needed help most.

The grants were delivered through our community based referral partners who made applications on behalf of those people they support – The ClementJames Centre, The Westway Trust, the Venture Centre, The Rugby Portobello Trust, and Action on Disability Kensington and Chelsea. This way we ensured that the money was going to the right people and that they were being supported in other ways too.

The Haley Yearwood fund

Family Action is very honoured to have been chosen by Haley Yearwood to disburse the funds raised through her crowdfunding appeal. We established a new grants scheme in order to disburse £750,000 of the money generously donated by over 36,000 donors through Haley’s appeal. The rest of the money raised will fund a long term responsive service providing practical and emotional support to the Grenfell community.

Through the Family Action Grenfell Grants scheme and the Haley Yearwood Grants Fund for Grenfell, grants have been given to help people replace items destroyed by the fire. This includes money to replace furniture, IT equipment, clothes and toys, money to help with large phone bills and additional travel costs, money to help people replace specialist items to enable them to go back to work or to continue their studies; money to enable people to get out of the area for a short break; and helping cover other additional costs because of the fire.

After the Grenfell fire happened we wanted to ensure a quick but accurate response so we considered all requests for grants within two working days so that we get the money to the applicants who need it very quickly.

What kind of things do grants from Family Action and Haley Yearwood’s donors go towards?

The grants were there to support individual’s or family’s general wellbeing as they seek to rebuild their lives following the fire.  The money may have pay for:

  • extraordinary or unexpected one off costs (such as to cover non-routine child care needs, e.g. to allow parents to attend therapy sessions or housing appointments, or large phone bills incurred contacting friends and family following the fire);
  • leisure activities and day trips to support families in rebuilding their family lives; or
  • the replacement of equipment lost in the fire, such as to support with a disability or other particular needs.

We kept the criteria for grants broad and flexible to meet the varying needs of people directly affected by the fire.

Family Action has extensive experience of grant giving. We have shown that grants to individuals, given at the right time for the right things can have a significant impact on a family’s or individual’s ability to move forward. Read about how our Open Doors Grants Programme demonstrates this.

What else is Family Action doing for the Grenfell Community?

The rest of the funds raised will be used to fund a long term responsive service providing emotional and practical support to the Grenfell community in the long term. Family Action is consulting with the community to ensure the service meets their needs – which launched in February 2018.

What can I do to help the Grenfell Community?

If you have any questions about donating, please email [email protected]

Thank you to everyone who has supported this appeal.  If you have any questions about our work with the Grenfell community, please contact [email protected]

“After the initial emergency response, there were a couple of weeks when Family Action’s grants were the only ones available for Grenfell residents to apply for. It was really good that Family Action contacted those working on the ground to find out what the families actually needed. Giving grants through us meant residents could go to centres they were already familiar with. Grants were flexible to give people what they needed. We were struck in particular by now many people wanted a grant to enable them to get away from the area. If you supported this grants service you made a good choice, you can be assured that 100% went to resident of the tower or Grenfell Walk, and these grants have reached nearly everyone. We’ve been really impressed with how Family Action have done everything and I would encourage people to continue supporting them

Howard, The ClementJames Centre, referral partner

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Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 020 7254 6251