support – The Magpie Project

One incredible and unexpected impact of the horrible few months we have lived through is the wonderful local community groups we have met, and worked with. In a series of blogs we are hoping to thank you all one by one.

Thank you to the Corner House Project

First we want to say a massive thank you The Corner House Project.

We are supporting 145 families in Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Barking and Dagenham during the lockdown.

These families are women with children under five. 80% of them have no state assistance at all (meaning that they survive on £37.50 a week). This week you got together 145 EID cards with a local primary school. These cards made the day of the mums and children.

The Corner House Project based in Wanstead and the brainchild of John Wagstaff at PettySon and Prestwich .

We have been getting car-fulls of donations every week from this fantastic organisation – including nappies, tins, pot noodles, rice, and toiletries.

These donations have come in through the generosity of the Wanstead community, and the tireless work of Suzi Harnett who runs the Wanstead Community Hub.

James Paterson and Juliette Harvey who run the brilliantly simple and elegant “Tin in a Bin” food bank/local causes initiative. Residents have put a bin in their front garden and others are dropping in tins, and other items for local food banks and us included. The amount of items we have received from this is absolutely staggering and proves that when lots of people get involved the difference they make is astounding.

We have also benefited from gorgeous fruit from the Cornerhouse Project. Fruit is the number one thing that our parents ask for to keep their children well, full of vitamins and healthy.

That is what the wonderful Wanstead community have done week in, week out for our families.

But this weekend was astounding! We decided really late in the day that we wanted to give our families an EID treat. We realised a lot of families were feeling sad and miserable at the thought of celebrating EID at home alone, and without much fanfare. So we decided we wanted to give them a treat.

EID effort

A message to the Corner House Project and they swung in to action.

145 hand made personalised cards? No problem!

145 trinkets, bangles, shiny presents? OK!

So thank you Samantha Lea and Dan her husband. You managed to garner a whole primary school to the cause to create beautiful personal cards – and Lola del Estal and Christelle Loew, Juliette Harvey you begged, borrowed and stole bangles from their children and relatives neighbours to make this happen.

Our mums have been so so grateful for your efforts – here are some of their messages.

“Thank you to everyone at the Magpie Project. We expect Christmas presents but EID, what a sweet gesture”

Another:

“My kids are over the moon, we really love the balloons, the sweets and the bangles. We feel so well looked after and loved”

We could not be more grateful – on behalf of our wonderful mums and minis, and on behalf of the whole project. You did something wonderful, thank you.

PS. When lockdown is over we can’t wait to welcome you all to a party – to meet the families you have supported, and to feel the love and gratitude we all have for you.

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.

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.”

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.

Saves time – you don’t need to remember 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 any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting 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.

Tag: support

Thank you to The Corner House Project