DONATIONS PAUSED:Due to our processes of clothes sorting and storing being overwhelmed, we are pausing donations of all clothes and equipment apart from buggies at present. Please check back in a few weeks to see what we are accepting.
Gifty and Blessing joined Jane our CEO at the annual conference of the London Network of Nurses and Midwives on the South Bank on Friday 9th June to pick up their award for AB FAB team of the year.
The Rights Experience Advocacy and Change team – headed up by Gifty meets every other Friday to speak to our advocacy and change work and is made up of 10 mums who have journeyed with our project through their own experiences of immigration, no recourse to public funds, insecure accommodation and poor access to services.
Who better to sit on panels, join task and finish groups, collaborate with the media, and help those who wish to access their expertise with service design that is truly co-produced.
The team has agreed to concentrate on three main strands of work: Equal enforceable standards for all housing – that includes temporary accommodation, private rented, Home office and Section 17 accommodation. Equal treatment for all children no matter what status, and Our stories, our solutions (we don’t want to tell our stories then other go away and make policy we want to be in on the change throughout).
We have already been busy feeding in to reports by Amnesty UK, Runnymead, Unicef, Shelter and other partners as well as being founding members of the Justlife Temporary Accommodation Action Group for Newham.
So here’s to you Gifty, Blessing and the REACH team for the brilliant work you do, and the change we will see happening for #AllOurChildren that will surely follow on from it.
We were happy to be part of a Newsnight investigation aired this week on the health hazards of substandard accommodation for many children in the UK.
We spoke alongside others such as the Shared Health Foundation, Professor Monika Lakhanpaul, and a brave Magpie Mum in home office accommodation to bring to light this often hidden problem.
124,000 children are at risk. Shocking statistics of how we, as a rich developed country, are jeopardising the health of our children by failing to provide adequate housing in the private, public, home office and social services sectors.
On seeing this film Sir Peter Bottomley MP said
‘If someone can give transcript of this programme to the prime-ministers office tomorrow we can start working on this together’.
He also stated that
‘Governnment departments often need nudging by MPs and by Media and by Voluntary organistions.
I think that the result of this programme will be that government departments will work together both local and nationally and if in a year’s time we are down 20,000 rather than 120,000 we will have made significant progress’
Who’s up for some ‘nudging’? Talk to your friends about this, find homeless and migrant organisations in your local area to support, and write to your MP so that these ‘hidden homeless’ rise up the agenda.
Our collaboration with the incredible musicians of the London Rhymes collective has been so nourishing for so many of our families over the past couple of years.
Every Friday we sit, shake, sing and shout and create real songs and music with real musicians playing real instruments
Thank you London Rhymes.
And you know, if a Magpie Mini asks you to Shake with them – you gonna do that!!
This collection of illustrated stories captures intergenerational narratives and amplifies the voices of children. From it, Bethany Williams, London-based sustainable fashion designer, humanitarian and artist, has created her first large scale public art work.
The works are a continuation of Williams’ ongoing project with two East London grassroots organisations: The Magpie Project, a charity that supports families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; and London College of Fashion’s Making for Change, a fashion training and manufacturing programme operating from two fully equipped sites, established in 2014 at HMP Downview with a sister site based at Poplar Works.
Titled ‘All Our Stories’, the illustrations have been generated through an ongoing series of collaborative storytelling workshops with the children and mothers from the Magie Project and Making for Change communities. For the visuals, Williams teamed up with illustrator and artist Melissa Kitty Jarram to transform these stories into a series of illustrations that in turn have been transposed into flags.
Each storytelling workshop culminated in a variety of creative outcomes, as each of the different communities interpreted the brief in their own way. The stories shared below recollect childhood memories in many forms; folklore tales shared from generation to generation, bedtime chronicles and fairytales whilst others contain childhood stories and nostalgic recollections of real life memories. Recognising community childhood stories and narratives – whether they have a strong written tradition or not is important in terms of assigning value and sharing power.
Bethany Williams is the second artist to take on this textile commission for Coal Drops Yard. A key and unusual feature of this project is that the decommissioning process is at the forefront of the considerations. This is only the first life of this fabric: once the installation comes down the material will be turned into two collections, one available to buy from Kiosk N1C in Coal Drops Yard and one in collaboration with one of Williams’ key retailers.
Proceeds from the sales will then be donated back to the Magpie Project and Making for Change.
The flags themselves are created from an organic Hemp Slub and which is 100% recyclable. The material choice references the age-old practice of flag-making, considers the future of Hemp’s role in the textile industry, and reflects Coal Drops Yard as a destination for fashion.
ALL OUR STORIES
Dino, a Magpie Project community story
A knight finds an egg and keeps the egg. The egg hatches and becomes a dinosaur. The knight has to save a princess who lives in a tower. The knight rides the dinosaur everywhere and it climbs a tree. He finds the princess but doesn’t know how to get up the tower. But, the dinosaur can burp ladders! And he can fly if he farts. To find the princess he has to burp and fart. Each fart and burp (and picking of his nose!) helps him to save the princess. The knight and the dinosaur managed to save the princess, who liked farting, burping and picking her nose too. So they all farted and burped and picked their noses together!
Chaos, a Magpie Project community story
A wealthy merchant moved into a new province and built a big palace with a beautiful door, heavily adorned with gems and stones. The King’s guards found the lavish door and told the King about it. At night, all the villagers went to see the door glistening in the dark. The King grew jealous and, afraid that the Queen might think the merchant’s door was better, he too put up a beautiful, bejeweled door. But no one came to see it. The King sent the guards to steal the merchant’s door. The guards stole the door with all its gems. And so the merchant made a new door better than the first one.
This happened a few more times. Then the King summoned the merchant. The King said “I am the King of this region and it is a disgrace to me that your door is more beautiful than mine”. The merchant said “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Where I come from we had riches but then lost them. We worked hard and rebuilt our homes. I decorate my door so that people who are too embarrassed to ask for help can just take the gems.” The King felt ashamed and decided to put out a bag of gems for people to take them whenever they needed.
The moral of this story is that when you give, you don’t have to tell the person that you have helped them.
The Sun and Wind story, Bethany William’s childhood story
Once the Wind and the Sun came to have a quarrel. Both of them claimed to be stronger. At last they agreed to have a trial of strength. “Here comes a traveller. Let us see who can strip him of his clock,” said the Sun. The Wind agreed and chose to have the first turn. He blew in the hardest possible way. As a result, the traveller wrapped his cloak even more tightly around him. Then it was the turn of the brightly shining Sun. At first he shone very gently. So, the traveller loosened his cloak from his neck. The Sun went on shining brighter and brighter. The traveller felt hot. Before long he took off his cloak and put it in his bag. The Wind had to accept his defeat.
The moral of this story is that gentleness and kind persuasion win, where force and bluster fail.
A flag with two tales – Monkey, a Magpie Project community story There was a cap seller in the village. One day he had sold lots of caps and was tired, so he sat under a tree. The tree was full of lots of monkeys who saw the seller sleeping. One monkey came down to take a cap from the seller’s bag and climbed back up the tree. The seller woke up and was shocked to see the bag was empty. “Hey monkey, give me my cap back!” Then he thought of an idea to get them back. He took off his own cap and threw it up. The monkey copied. The seller threw it on the ground. The monkey copied. The seller picked all the caps and put them in his bag!
Tiger, a Magpie Project community story There once was a girl who, as she sat on the hillside watching the village cows, was bored. To amuse herself she took a great breath and sang out, “Tiger! Tiger! The Tiger is chasing the cow!” The villagers came running to help the girl drive the tiger away. But when they arrived, they found no tiger. The girl laughed at the sight of their angry faces. “Don’t cry ‘Tiger’, girl,” said the villagers, “when there’s no tiger!” They went grumbling back to the village. Later, the girl sang out again, “Tiger! Tiger! The Tiger is chasing the cows!” To her naughty delight, she watched the villagers run to help her drive the Tiger away. When the villagers saw no tiger they sternly said, “Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don’t cry ‘Tiger’ when there is NO tiger!” But the girl just grinned and watched them go grumbling back to the village.
Later, she saw a REAL tiger prowling about the cows. Alarmed, she leapt to her feet and sang out as loudly as he could, “Tiger! Tiger!” But the villagers thought she was trying to fool them again, and so they didn’t come. At sunset, everyone wondered why the girl hadn’t returned to the village with their cows. They went up the field to find the girl. They found her weeping. “There really was a Tiger here! The cows have scattered! I cried out, “Tiger!” Why didn’t you come?” An old woman tried to comfort the girl as they walked back to the village. “Nobody believes a liar… even when she is telling the truth.
Meeting on the health effects of temporary accommodation on unders fives.
Tuesday 8th June saw the Magpie Project give evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on ending homelessness.
Evidence was given by:
Kemi, member of our Magpie Mums Leadership team.
Professor Monica Lakhanpaul – professor of integrated community child health at university college London and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and consultant paediatrician at Whittington Health NHS Trust.
Maxine Jenkins – specialist community public health nurse and queen’s nurse representing 33 health visitors working with families experiencing homelessness nationally.
Dr Sarah Cockman – outreach paediatrician for homeless families, Shared Health Foundation.
Thelma, expert by experience.
Evidence presented
The panel presented evidence for the health risks of temporary or insecure housing on children, especially those under five. These include.
For developing foetuses and newborns this can include premature births, low birth weight or stillbirth.
For young children this may include lower rates of GP registration, school readiness, higher rates of hospital admissions, missed immunisations, development delays (both physical and in the brain), or chronic health issues.
For children between 5-19 years this can include substantial behavioural and emotional problems, increased risk of injury, childhood obesity, lower school attainment, substance use, and suicide risk.
In the worst cases this can even lead to child mortality – 156 child deaths between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 were directly attributable to housing problems or homelessness.
The impact of covid Organisations working on the frontline of these sectors told the APPG how the pandemic has worsened this – reports of child mental health ill-health, domestic abuse, poverty and nutritional deficits have all increased, while contact with support services have reduced. This has also been exacerbated by rapid moves between accommodation and digital exclusion. These problems could be preventable with better data: Clear from their testimonies was that the majority of these problems experienced by homeless children could be prevented and the urgent need for better data through a notification system, which would strengthen the provision of targeted support for children in these circumstances.
As it stands, children who are homeless are often hidden from services that are designed to protect them. Currently, local education, health, housing and other support services have their own data systems for their clients.
This means that when vulnerable or at-risk children move into new or between temporary accommodation settings, vital local services are not informed of their move into the area.
These children are effectively invisible to services and left without essential health, social and emotional support.
Many of these children subsequently experience a multitude of preventable problems which can lead to longer-term problems such as chronic ill-health, homelessness, destitution, or social exclusion.
A notification system would facilitate a greater understanding of the needs of children experiencing homelessness and improve the provision of local targeted support. Without the data from a notification systems, children will remain hidden from services, and unable to access the vital support they need.
Key stats
• 98,300 households in temporary accommodation in England in June 2020, which included 127,240 children.
• Further 90,000 children are estimated to be sofa surfing situations England by the Children’s Commissioner.
•Number of children in temporary accommodation has Increased by 75% in the last 10 years.
• 391% increase in the number of households placed in temporary accommodation outside of their local authority between the end of June 2010 and the end of June 2020.
• 156 child deaths between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 were directly attributable to housing problems or homelessness.
What we want MPs to do
Sign the cross-party letter to Ministers Jo Churchill and Eddie Hughes which is calling for the implementation of a notification system to ensure that children and families who are homeless can be guided through the system safely.
Sign up to be a member of the APPG on Households in Temporary Accommodation where you will have a chance to learn more about the impact of prolonged stays in temporary accommodation and support the recommended policy changes needed to protect the health and wellbeing of families staying in them.
What we want you to do
Write to your MP and ask them to become a member of the APPG for ending homelessness and the APPG on households in Temporary accommodation.
Ask your MP to call for a notification system for families moving in to temporary accommodation.
Ask your MP to back minimum, enforceable standards for temporary, emergency, Section 17 and Home office accommodation.
Saturday 12th of June at 12pm sustainable fashion designer, humanitarian and artist, Bethany Williams, launched her latest collection, All Our Stories.
“She still wears stories passed down to her by her mother. Words that no longer fit the same way because life has stretched and changed its shape, but the moral of the story remains. Like the smile on her face. Her joy is new, even though the ending is not. She has not forgotten the promise she made, never to waste these old, tattered tales but to tell them to her children – again and again. To get to the end and watch them smile. They are their stories now. They are All Our Stories.” – Eno Mfon, Spoken Word Poet
All Our Stories is inspired by Bethany’s continued work with East London grassroots organisation, The Magpie Project, a charity that supports women and children under five who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Magpie project works to make sure that a spell in insecure or temporary accommodation does not result in permanent damage to the life chances of the children who experience it.
Artist Melissa Kitty Jarram – inspired by the folklore passed from generation to generation and childhood stories that continue to inform us in our adult lives – ran a storytelling workshops with the Magpie families and illustrated the magical narratives they shared. She then used waste book covers in her illustrations to tell a new story.
The collection focuses on five main storylines shared by the families of the Magpie Project, “AOS”, “Blessing”, “Dinosaurs” and “The Girl Who Cried Tiger”, as well as Bethany’s own, “The Sun and The Wind” childhood story.
“What we noticed through the story-telling workshops, was that the moral in each story always came back to kindness, care, and respect for one another and how these traits, whilst important in childhood, have just as much meaning in adult life.” Bethany Williams
Working closely with Jane Williams, the founder of the Magpie Project, Bethany Williams will continue the theme of the collection in a commitment to running creative workshops with the Magpie Projectcommunity that will capture, share and amplify their myriad stories. It is the collective’s belief that disseminating these stories empowers and encourages community togetherness and voice at many levels.
The silhouettes of the collection are inspired by the V&A Museum of Childhood garment archive. This collection sees Bethany’s first detailed exploration into tailoring with a suit inspired by a historical children’s skeleton suit from the 1800’s. The skeleton suit was the first children’s garment designed for play. The new shapes stand alongside our existing forms representing our continued development. The collection also features two corsets created with Welsh designer Rosie Evans using offcuts from the collection production. In these corsets, Rosie has replaced traditional boning with a material made out of fruit packaging waste.
At a time when the V&A Museum of Childhood has fully decanted for refurbishment, All Our Stories has filled the empty space with new stories and community faces for our campaign imagery.
As with all her work, the collection is created via Bethany’s social manufacturing partners who are built into the framework of social enterprise. Bethany continues to work with community driven, UK based social manufacturing partner, Making for Change Poplar Works. For the first time, Williams is using donations of Merino Wool deadstock from Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna, which has been printed with eco-friendly inks via Orto Print in Peckham.
Through the collaboration with Mending For Good, knitwear has been a key area of development for this collection where Williams proudly introduces a new social manufacturing partnership called Manusa. Manusa is, a social cooperative that involves people from various backgrounds, specializing in hand-techniques including delicate crochet, embroidery and hand-knitting. Designed in collaboration with Alice Morell Evans, the knitwear uses Sesia Wool industry waste sample swatches, crocheted together with Seisia organic bio wool. Each year, the sample swatches created each season become surplus at the end of each cycle of production. To utilise this waste, Bethany and Founder of Mending For Good, Barbara Guarducci, developed a sorting technique with Sesia for their team to separate the swatches.
Barbara Guarducci said “Mending for Good was born to provide design-driven technical solutions for the excess stock and left-overs of the fashion industry. Everyday tons of so far “considered” waste are still produced, that is why we love to collaborate with visionary designers such as Bethany Williams that sees waste as the raw material from which a beautiful story can start.”
The book cover waste, provided by Hachette, is used for Bethany’s iconic Book Bags, and integrated into the collection garments through their woven textile collaboration with San Patrignano, an education and rehabilitation programme that teaches traditional Italian craft and a sense of community.
Six looks from All Our Stories make up Bethany Williams’ submission for the 2021 International Woolmark Prize finals.
20% of the profits from this collection will be donated to The Magpie Project via The Bethany Williams Benevolent Fund, a fund set up by The Magpie Project and Bethany Williams in 2020.
Read what British Vogue has to say about the latest Bethany Williams Collection here
We were a bit taken aback and incredibly honoured to be asked to give evidence to the the House of Lords committee on Covid Recovery on Tuesday April 20th 2021.
We asked, as we always do, whether we could bring a mum who experienced the crisis first hand to speak, and on this occassion it was unfortunately a no, so instead we sent out a quick survey to find out what our mums’ main concerns were, and what they wanted policy makers to know. Some 67 people answered, and we fed in the results to our oral evidence to the committee. Read our survey results here. Mums were concerned about their own mental health, about the physical and emotional development of their children, and about poor housing conditions and poverty. Their asks were:
An end to the hostile environment which is keeping their children in poverty,
The right to work,
Affordable childcare so that single parents can work,
Better provision of children’s centres and early years.
We also wanted to recognise and laud the efforts that Newham Council and Public Health England made during the crisis in Newham under the leadership of Mayor Fiaz. So we asked for their input too. Read about how Newham worked with the third sector and community and faith groups to make sure nobody was left behind in the crisis.
The COVID crisis made visible a pre-existing, chronic crisis of inequality and poverty – and the Covid response improved the lives of people suffering before COVID (the homeless, those in unsuitable accommodation, those with NRPF) as well as those who were newly in need.
The spread of COVID 19, government instruction to stay at home and sudden economic crisis exposed and exacerbated deep inequalities in Newham. The borough was already tackling public health crises including related to poor air quality, the housing crisis and poverty. Newham is the most ethnically diverse borough in the UK, with 73% of residents from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. It quickly became clear that the pandemic was disproportionately affecting Black and minority ethnic communities and so was experienced acutely in Newham. There were a number of complex interrelated issues affecting this, borne of long standing health inequalities and structural racism.
ONS data also showed a stark correlation between COVID 19 mortality rates and the prevalence of overcrowded housing. Between 1 March and 17 April 2020, Newham had the highest death rate (114.3 deaths per 100,000) and the biggest overcrowding problem (25.2% of homes are overcrowded). You can see in this photographic essay by Laura Dodsworth the conditions that our mothers had to endure during lockdown. One Room Lockdown. These were mothers who were not under Newham’s direct care and therefore did not benefit from the Mayor’s decision to move all of those in shared accommodation in to self contained homes in order to facilitate the possibility of self-isolating, or social distancing. We were so worried about the plight of those unable to keep safe in Migrant Help accommodation that the ITV did a story on it, and the Mayor of Newham wrote to the housing secretary to express concern.
The response of Newham was exemplary in terms of communication, decisiveness and trusting and enabling community groups, faith organisations and third sector to act in the interests of our residents. Partnership working has been central to supporting residents in Newham, with the council, voluntary, faith and community sector all mobilising together at rapid speed. This included:
The Newham Food Alliance – A network of voluntary, community and faith sector organisations coordinated by the council to distribute food. In 2020, this network and HelpNewham distributed 264,000 food parcels to Newham residents, and council vehicles moved over 920 tonnes of Felix fare-share surplus food, with these figures rising daily.
The Newham Social Welfare Alliance has worked with community organisations to provide training sessions on Housing and Homelessness, Domestic Violence to Children and Young People’s Mental Wellbeing. Since November, 753 people from 81 organisations have attended sessions. Establishing a COVID-19 Health Champions network of 400+ residents who share information in the community. The network was recognized as best practice by the government and the Ministry of Communities and Local Government now funds similar work at other Councils.
Pioneering a rapid local testing model in the borough, which has fundamentally changed access to testing particularly for the most vulnerable communities.
Working with the local NHS to establish vaccine sites beyond health care settings, including pop up vaccine sites in churches, temples, mosques and community centres.
Offering free accommodation for living in overcrowded housing, the first local authority in the country to do so. This followed research by the council on why some residents feel unable to self-isolate, which found that 71% of those surveyed listed fear of losing their job as a factor that gets in the way of being able to self-isolate. A further 60% said they were preventing from self-isolating by the need to earn money.
Newham rapidly mobilised an emergency accommodation and assessment centre and accommodation for all rough sleepers, regardless of their immigration status or local connection (Four Hotels and 40 Houses of Multiple Occupancy.) Newham has had the largest decrease in rough sleepers this year nationally, with rough sleepers falling by 91%. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Newham had accommodated 124 Rough Sleepers, with approximately 70 people still on the streets. Newham currently has 212 people accommodated and 6 people on the streets. Throughout the pandemic 198 people have been supported to move on out of this temporary accommodation and into longer-term settled accommodation.
3.The response to COVID proved that – with political will and central funding – crises can be addressed. It proved that other long-standing chronic crises – child poverty, homelessness, food poverty, digital poverty, hygiene poverty, loneliness, NRPF – could benefit from being treated as a public health crisis of the same urgency.
The pandemic has dissolved many of the barriers between the council, health partners, voluntary, faith and community organisations. This unprecedented mobilisation to support residents demonstrates what is possible when local authorities and community organisations are giving the appropriate funding and powers. In March 2020 the Chancellor promised to do ‘whatever it takes’ to fund councils through the pandemic, but as of March, the impact of the pandemic on Newham council was £82m, and support from government only estimated at £68m. Council across the country have been left short.
The pandemic has also shown the power of local authorities of convenors of local communities during crises. Councils like Newham are uniquely placed to play this role. During COVID 19, we have seen the value of a more balanced central-local relationship in tackling this challenge. The vaccine programme shows each level playing to its strengths: with central government using its purchasing power and other levers to accelerate vaccine development and acquisition, and the local NHS, council and community partners working to get it into people’s arms. The Test and Trace Programme has in contrast been highly centralised.
Newham has launched its 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham Health and Well-Being Strategy 2020-23, that sets out how Newham will respond to the significant pre-existing and new health challenges created by the pandemic. The strategy details how the borough will work with partners to do all possible to maximize the health of the population over the next three years, placing a key focus on supporting people around the determinants of their health.
This is underpinned by the Council’s ‘Towards a Better Newham’ COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, all informed by the council’s overarching strategic goal to tackle inequality, racism and disproportionality. The strategy is based on eight pillars, including a commitment to measuring the council’s success in future on the health, happiness and wellbeing of residents.
Newham is showing what is possible with imaginative policies, partnership working and political will. Going forward, we need a national approach that focuses on prevention and tackling structural inequality at its roots.
Even before lockdown we were fast outgrowing Forest Lane Lodge.
We do not have sole use of the building, which means that we were setting up and breaking down the equivalent of a full nursery provision each time we opened.
That, alongside not having enough storage for our donations or a private area for our minis to play safely means that things were stretched.
Our irreplaceable professional partners who descend on our building to meet mums where they feel safe and supported often found themselves squatting on the floor, working on a chair in the playroom, taking case notes on the roundabout – making do.
Then lockdown happened…..
Our staff numbers doubled, the number of mums and minis we are supporting at any given time also doubled and a half (Grew by 150%?)
All these factors are adding up to the inevitable and unsettling conclusion that – to quote the classic film – we are going to need a bigger boat.
The good news
There is a great building very close by which is vacant. It is a five minute walk from the Lodge so even if a professional, a volunteer or a vulnerable mum comes to the old building it won’t be far to get to the new one. Other massive positives are:
There will be SO much more space,
We will have sole use of the building. We will have a garden all to ourselves to grow flowers, veg and children,
Our minis will have a private, safe space (indoor and out) to play,
We will have capacity inside to invite all of our beloved professional partners such as LBWP, Health Visitors, Family Support workers, Shelter advisers, Beauticians, Reiki practitioners, dance artists, artists, theatre practitioners to come, spread out and do their thing.
We are also hoping that the space will allow for a:
Laundrette
Cafe/cooking collective
Community garden
Digital hub
Advice space, but most important of all
Chatting, play and chaos and creating minis’ memories and mums’ belonging.
We could also imagine the wider community using the space for:
Hot desking,
Birthday parties,
Evening classes, etc.
The not so good news
It’s a building that has been squatted in. It is in a terrible state and it is not 100% clear what state it will be in if we get possession.
To make the building what we dream it could be for our families we would need:
Corporate or community groups to volunteer to clear the building
Corporate or community groups to volunteer to clean and paint
Specialist builders/developers to help with repairs
Gardeners/landscape artists to help create a beautiful outdoor space
Interior designers to help us imagine an amazing and magical place where mums and minis are centered
Furniture/office suppliers to help us kit the place out
Kitchen suppliers to help us create a beautiful collective cooking space, or
The money to pay for any of the above that we cannot beg or borrow in-kind.
So here’s where we need your help
We know we ask a lot of you, our beautiful, bountiful community. And here we are asking again, after a year where we have all given more than we ever thought possible. But – you know – it’s just so important to show up for our most vulnerable children and mothers. The brilliant thing is that with a little time and generosity we can, together, make something really beautiful and meaningful happen.
What can you pledge?
Thank you so much, as always, for being there for our families. We will be in touch, hopefully with good news and a call to action as soon as we can.
Our beloved social work student closed the doors on her placement today. She came to us in the middle of the Covid chaos – but despite this, she has approached every person, every task, every opportunity with love, curiosity and a wonderful instinct for how to keep people safe, how to make sure people feel comfortable and a really wicked sense of humour.
This is what she told us about her placement:
I have been immensely honoured to have had the opportunity to work with The Magpie Project.
Thank you for embracing and enriching me with the experience of impacting society, one family at a time!
My soul is richer with satisfaction for having been a part of the life-changing, opportunity-making, dignity-restoring, empowerment machine that is THE MAGPIE PROJECT!
You have all readily shared your knowledge with me, and I hold all I have learned dear to use now and in the future. Thank you for contributing towards my professional development. In many ways, I have developed as a person too, such as my capacity to empathise.
I am ever so glad to have started my practice journey with the Project as it enabled me to see need without any barriers and certainly to think of ways in which this need could be met. I am sure this training has enhanced my ability to think creatively regarding alternatives to service provision.
I have seen the resilience of the human spirit; that people may be bruised by their ordeals, yet believe that tomorrow will get better.
Ruth, Social Work Student
I’m convinced that the project plays a vital role in creating this belief; that you shine a beacon for all the mothers in your care, to trust in the possibility of positive change! That you empower these mothers to utilise their strengths; give them a voice!
Thank you for enabling me to be a participant in this great experience.
Proof of Address
Proof of address is something that proves where you live. It’s generally a document from a trusted source that has recently been sent to your home address.
Government-issued letters
Council tax
Benefits statements
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Department for Works & Pensions (DWP)
Marriage or civil partnership certificate
Company-issued letters
Utility bills
Insurance certificates
Tenancy agreement
TV licence
Bank statements
Proof of address documents can be split into two types:
Government-issued letters
Company-issued letters
Remember to always use printed bills and statements which are not older than 3 months
“Proof of address is very challenging, especially when you’ve just got status. You’re probably not in accommodation yet so haven’t had any bills or anything. You might have to wait for a bill. One bank accepted a housing letter but not all banks would accept that.”
“Try and find your old letters. You never know when you will need them. Don’t throw away important papers (anything that can
prove who you are and what you’ve been up to) and keep them somewhere. I needed proof of address for the past 5 years. Imagine if I was th
rowing things away. Keep letters for hospital appointments and from school etc.”
Magpie Mums say:
Proof of identity
Proof of identity is something that proves who you are. It will most likely be an official document with your full name, date of birth and a photo.
Examples of proof of identity:
Biometric residence permit (BRP)
Once you receive legal permission to stay in the UK, you will usually get a BRP. Your BRP includes your name, your date and place of birth, your fingerprints, a photo of you, your immigration status and information about your access to public funds.
If you lose your BRP or it gets stolen, you must report it and apply for a replacement within 3 months. If you don’t do this, you could be fined up to £1,000 and made to leave the UK.
Passport:
You can use a valid passport as proof of identity. If your passport has expired and you want to renew it, your country’s consulate should be able to assist you.
Provisional driving licence (PDL):
You may be able to use a PDL as a proof of identity or address. You can apply for a PDL online which costs £34. After a successful application, you will get your provisional license and your identity documents posted back to you separately. Find out more here.
Magpie Mums Say: “Make sure you confirm your universal credit first, before you send your ID for your provisional license, because it takes a few weeks for them to send it back.”
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Which bills are more important
If you have more than one debt you need to pay, the order in which you pay off the debts is important. Paying your bills and debts in the right order can help you save money and avoid legal trouble. Paying your bills and debts in the right order can help you save money and avoid legal trouble. Money Advice Service suggests that you classify your debts as follows:
When paying off non-priority debts, try to target the most expensive debt first. This will help you save money in the long term:
Pay the debt with the highest interest rate shown on your monthly statement or loan agreement first.
Check that you won’t be charged any penalty or default charges for overpaying.
Pay as much as you can afford without breaking the terms of other credit agreements you have.
Once you’ve paid your most expensive debt, move on to paying off your next most expensive one.
“The whole process looked a bit daunting to me, but just talk to professionals and follow the steps given in this booklet and you’ll be fine.”
“With patience, you will achieve whatever you want to. You’ve got to be strong and patient and keep pushing”
“It’s advisable to get a receipt booklet. You can never tell when you will need to prove something. Make sure you have a receipt if you pay someone to do something”
Magpie mums say:
Applying for Benefits
Once you have opened an online account, you can now apply for benefits. The main benefit to apply for is usually universal credit. You can apply for it here.
The application can take time to complete and you will be asked to provide several documents. These include:
Proof of identity
Proof of address
Evidence of dependent children
Bank account details
Evidence of housing costs
If you can’t provide any of these needed for your claim, you must book an appointment with an adviser to discuss this. You may be asked to provide other types of evidence instead. You can check which benefits you are entitled to, how much you can expect to receive, and how to get them using this website.
Magpie Mums Say:
“I was with another charity project, and they helped me apply for universal credit and housing benefit. It was difficult when I was alone, but if you get help it’s not difficult.”
Staying safe online
You might be worried about the safety of online banking, but banks have worked hard to make sure that your money is safe. Here are some tips for staying safe when banking online:
Use unique passwords and PINs that only you know – do not share these, your bank will never ask you to.
Use secure Wi-Fi networks to bank online, not public WiFi
Always double-check who you are sending money to. You must be sure that you are sending money to the right person for the right reason.
Contact your bank immediately if you spot a transaction on your account that you did not make.
Identifying and avoiding scams:
Scammers are clever and can target anyone. Here are 5 warning signs to look out for:
Does it seem too good to e true?
Are you pressured to pay quickly or unusually, or transfer fees up front?
Are there errors or typos that look suspicious?
Contacted out of the blue by someone you don’t know?
Asked for personal information?
Sometimes it is difficult to tell if something is a scam or not. If you are concerned, it is best to be careful and take the time to check. Many banks’ websites will also have advice on the latest scams and how to avoid them.
Received a text you think is a scam? Forward it to 7726 for free to report it. You can also report suspicious emails with your email provider and block the sender.
Never click links in suspicious messages or reply. Never share any personal details.
There are several banks in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre near to the Magpie Project’s base. You can see the full list of banks here. To see what types of accounts are on offer you will have to check the bank’s website. Look for either basic or current accounts. Remember you should not have to pay to have an account.
It is recommended by most banks that you go into a branch if you are a refugee or asylum seeker and want to open a bank account. In person they may be able to accept alternative forms of ID/proof of address if you don’t have the standard ones.
Table:
Bank Examples
Forms of Identity Needed
Metro Bank
Asylum seekers can apply for a cash account and/or savings account. This requires an Application Registration Card (ARC), proof of address and confirmation of asylum seekers support allowance or other income.
Lloyds
You can apply for a Classic Current account with a BRP, ARC or a Home Office Immigration Status document. Refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a ‘Classic current account’. This includes an arranged overdraft. Fees are charged if you go into your overdraft.
Nationwide
You can get a ‘FlexBasic account’ (basic bank account) and an ‘Instant Access saver’ (basic savings account). They accept BRP, ARC and Home Office Immigration Status document.
HSBC
You cannot open a bank account if you are from outside the EU. They accept BRP but NOT ARC. They accept BRP but NOT ARC.
Monzo
Refugees can open a current account with a BRP and their UK address. However, Monzo do not accept ARC. You can get your benefits or salary (depending on your employer) paid into your Monzo account 1 day earlier.
Overview of bank fees/charges:
You should not be charged to open an account or send or receive money.
With a Current account if you have an overdraft then you will be charged interest on the amount you go over and you will have to pay this back.
Some banks may charge you for a replacement if you lose your bank card.
Fees will be charged if you send money outside the UK. You may also be charged for sending money in a foreign currency . • You can withdraw cash for free from most cash machines.
Red Textbox:
You can use Money Helper to compare fees and charges for all banks. First click ‘Start to compare current accounts’ then click on the ‘filter’ button. Filter it to just ‘Standard current accounts’ and ‘Fee-free basic bank accounts’. You can also search the charges and fees for your specific bank provider on their website.
Current Accounts
Current Accounts
Current accounts are the most common bank accounts in the UK. Nearly all banks will offer a free current account, depending on your credit score. Current bank accounts allow you to:
Pay money into the account either personally or from wages/benefits.
Withdraw money from the account at an ATM with a card.
Set up online payments such as direct debits and standing orders.
Complete in-store payments with a debit card.
Apply for an overdraft (depending on credit score).
Apply for a credit card (depending on credit score).
It’s important to make sure you are not paying for features that you do not
need.
If, for some reason, you are not allowed to open a current account because of
your financial position, then you should still be able to open a basic bank
account. You will need to check to see which banks offer one.
A basic bank account is a current account that does not let you have an
overdraft. This protects you from accidently getting extra bank charges.
Types of Bank accounts
Current Accounts allow you to:
Pay money into the account either personally or from wages/benefits.
Withdraw money at a cash machine
Set up online payments such as direct debits and standing orders.
Complete in-store payments with a debit card.
Apply for an overdraft or credit card (depending on credit score).
If you are not allowed to open a current account because of your financial position, then you should still be able to open a basic bank account. You will need to check to see which banks offer one.
Basic Bank Accounts allow you to:
Deposit money
Withdraw money
Transfer money
However, you cannot:
Go into an overdraft (go below 0)
Access credit e.g. a loan or credit card
Write cheques
Some basic bank accounts may not let you set up direct debits
Basic Savings Account allows you to:
Put your money aside in a separate account that earns interest
It is also easily accessible, so you take money out whenever you want.
Paying your bills with online banking
What is online banking?
Online banking means accessing and managing your bank account through the internet on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Many banks have free mobile-banking apps which make it quick and easy to manage your money without needing to call or visit your bank. With most banks, you can use online banking to:
Check how much money is in your account
Check the recent payments into and out of your account
Send money to other accounts and pay bills
Check your monthly statements
Set up and manage direct debits and standing orders
Send and receive messages from your bank
Some banks have extra features. For example, show your pending transactions
(payments that you have made but haven’t been taken from your account yet)
and what your balance will be once these payments are complete. Sometimes,
you can also set up notifications on your phone to tell you when payments
have been made into or out of your account.
You can access monthly statements online or receive a copy through the post.
It is useful to have paper copies of your statements to be used as proof of
address.
Making payments
Online banking lets you transfer money between accounts almost immediately. You can also send money to family and friends, or to companies when you need to pay bills.
You can make regular payments through direct debits and standing orders:
Direct debits let a company take money from your account on a certain date. It is useful when paying regular bills.
Standing orders tell your bank to send an exact amount of money from your account to another on a regular basis.
You need to make sure there is enough money in your account when these payments are taken or else you could be charged extra by your bank.
Saves Time
Make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You don’t need to remember to pay a bill
You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.
Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.
Magpie Mums say:
“Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.”
“I’m used to it. It’s easy on the phone. I try to avoid going to banks.”
Open an Account
Before setting up an account anywhere, you should check that the account provider is regulated by the FCA. To do this click the link here and search for the provider on the Financial Services Register. We also recommend checking if the provider is covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme). To check if your provider is covered, click here.
The FSCS protects your money up to a certain amount if the bank fails.
There are different ways you can open a bank account. For banks with a local branch, you can book an appointment. Other banks will let you open an account online. Whichever way you choose, there are some documents you must have available:
Proof of identity
Proof of address
There are some examples of what you can use for . Try to have as many examples of these documents as you can. You will not be allowed to use the same item for both proof of identity and address, so be prepared for this. Do not let anyone else use your accounts.
Bank accounts:
Current accounts
Basic Bank Accounts
Basic Savings Accounts
Where to bank
It’s useful to spend some time choosing which bank you want to open an account with. Things to consider when choosing your bank are:
Is there a local branch near you?
What accounts do they offer?
What protections do they provide?
Does the bank offer the option for paper statements if you need them?
It’s important to make sure you are not paying for features that you do not need. You should not have to pay to have an account.
This is why Magpie Mums say having a bank account is important:
“When I first applied, I couldn’t get paid universal credit until I provided a bank account.”
“For receiving universal credit and if you find a job, you need an account for your salary to go through.”
Timeline
“In my experience, the first thing was to open an
online account. Some online banks will take a
biometric card. When you download the app, you
immediately get your account number and sort code,
so you can apply for universal credit. Then, I applied
for a provisional license. You have to be careful when
you apply to both of these. Make sure you confirm
your universal credit first, before you send your ID
for your provisional license, because it takes a few
weeks for them to send it back and you won’t get
paid until you send your ID to universal credit”
Magpie Mums
List of Definitions
There are a few common terms that you will see a lot. Here is a list of some of the most important terms and what they mean
Account number
A 10-12 digit number given to your bank account. You can find your account number on your online banking page or on bank statements.
Card Number
A 16-digit number with that is found on the front of your debit/credit card.
Credit Card
A credit card doesn’t spend your money. It spends the bank’s money and you must pay it back. This means you can spend more than is in your account, but you might be charged extra for doing this, especially if you are late paying the bank.
Credit Score
A number that records how likely you are to repay your debts. High credit scores are better as it means financial products such as overdrafts and credit cards cost less.
Debit Card
A debit card is a card that lets you take out money from ATMs and make payments in stores or online from your account.
Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
An organisation set up to protect the money you put in bank accounts. If you have a current or basic account, the FSCS will pay you up to £85,000 if your bank goes bankrupt.
National Insurance Number (NI)
The number makes sure that the National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded on your account. It also acts as a reference number for the whole social security system.
Overdraft
An amount of money you can spend even when you have no money in your account. It is like a small loan from your bank. Overdrafts are often not free, so you need to be very aware what the costs are before using one.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
A PIN is a 4-digit number that is given to you with a debit card. This is used when taking out money from ATMs or when making in-store purchases with your card. Never share your PIN with anyone as it could be used to commit fraud.
Security Code
A 3-4 digit number found on the back of your debit/credit card in the signature section. This number will be required for nearly all online payments. The code provides an extra layer of security to safeguard you from fraud.
Sort Code
A 6-digit number that is used to identify your bank. You can find your sort code on your online banking platform, on bank statements or on your debit card.
Standing Order
When a fixed amount that you choose is paid from your account to another person or organisation. This is different from the direct debit as the amount that is paid is the same each time.
How to read electricity meters
At some point, your energy provider will ask for electricity meter records. If they do not have this, they will estimate your usage and you may not be charged the correct amount. Here is a useful guide for how to read your energy meter.
“With patience, you will achieve whatever you want to. You’ve got to be strong and patient and keep pushing.”
“The whole process looked a bit daunting to me, but just talk to professionals and follow the steps given in this booklet and you’ll be fine.”
Magpie mums say:
Finding the cheapest provider
The best way to save money on energy bills is to switch providers, or search for the cheapest deal available. This website lets you compare energy providers. If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, you can apply for help through the British gas and energy trust. You can find information on saving money on phone and Wi-Fi (broadband) bills here.
Making Payments
Online banking lets you transfer money between accounts almost immediately. You can send money to another account in your name, to family and friends, or to companies when you need to pay bills. Direct debits and standing orders are useful ways to manage your payments and make sure that your bills are paid on time.
A direct debit lets a company take money from your account on a certain date. This is useful when you need to pay regular bills, such as for water, gas or electricity. The company will take the amount of money that you owe, but it will tell you in advance how much they will take and when. You should contact the company that you want to pay to set up a direct debit. You will need your bank account details to fill out a form in person,
online or over the phone.
A standing order tells your bank to send an exact amount of money from your account to another account on a regular basis. Standing orders can also be useful for making regular payments to other accounts, such as to pay rent to your landlord. You are in full control of how much will be paid, when and how long for. To set up a standing order, you will need to fill out a form through your online bank account or over the phone with your bank. You will need the name, sort code and account number of the person you want to send money to.
Saves time – you don’t need toremember to pay a bill.
You need to make sure there is
enough money in your account when
the direct debit or standing order will
be taken. If there is not enough
money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You will get money back for anyincorrect payments for direct debitsonly.
You must remember to cancel
standing orders when you want to
stop paying someone regularly.
You can cancel a direct debit or astanding order at any time throughyour online banking account or bycontacting your bank.
Sometimes you might think you are
setting up a direct debit, but it is
actually a recurring payment or
continuous payment authority (CPA).
Be careful if companies ask for the
long number on your card instead of
your sort code and account number.
This will mean they can take money
whenever they think they are owed.
“Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.”
Magpie Mums say:
