Let's be kind
We were all shocked when Covid-19 arrived and the UK went into lockdown. We knew straightaway that some of our residents would have extra financial and emotional burdens as a result of the restrictions. So we acted fast to put support in place for those who needed it. Our £1 million Be Kind fund launched in April 2020 to help any CKH customer struggling to cope with the impact of Covid-19.
How we helped in the first 100 days of the Be Kind fund:
Between March and July we also made 8,239 welfare calls, arranged for 2,583 hot meals to be delivered to people unable to do this for themselves, and helped local food banks with 986 deliveries.
Let’s be fair
We’re here to support any customer who is willing to work with us. Paying your rent, looking after your home and being a good neighbour are all essential parts of being a CKH resident. People who show us they are working to be great tenants, will have access to all of our services, even if they need some help along the way. People who don’t talk to us or refuse to work with us to improve things, may not be able to access all of our services - we think that’s fair.
Helping homeless households
When you’ve been homeless, you usually lose most of your possessions. That can make it really hard when you’re getting back on your feet, as you have to buy everything you need for your home from scratch. We’re using the Be Kind fund to buy furniture and white goods for people moving out of hostels and short-stay accommodation into permanent homes, so that they really can make themselves at home when they move in.
What’s next for Be Kind?
We don’t know what’s going to happen next with the virus, but we do know that our support systems are here to stay. We’re making being kind an important part of how we work every day. Our fantastic Tenancy Sustainability team will continue to provide specialist support for our more vulnerable tenants, while the Be Kind team will be here for people dealing with unexpected challenges, such as domestic violence and sudden illness. We’re also here to help everyone who needs it with the smaller things too and we’ll share information throughout the year about how to get in touch if you need support.
What you say about the Be Kind fund
"You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ll be able to cook a home cooked meal and sit and eat it with my kids again at last."
"I have recently been made redundant and they were helpful, understanding and very compassionate and offered me lots of useful advice."
"I just really appreciate this help. I don’t like to ask for help. But at times like this it really makes a difference."
"Thank you so much for the gift - it has made the biggest difference to my son’s home school life and we are so grateful."