How we have halped
Real stories of lives we've touched
Angela and Lawrence
Re 1) My husband and I are still homeless, we continue to be considered as vulnerable and we continue to be in dire financial straits as my husband is my full-time caregiver with some assistance from carers, which had been arranged by Adult Social Care Services and my basic pension is our only income.
Re 2) My husband and I are affected by our unfortunate circumstances. .
Re 3) I had contacted your organisation since 4 August 2023 with my request for some kind of access to some of our belongings, which your organisation had kindly stored. Today is 21 September 2024.
Re 4) Without the kind support from your organisation we would have lost all of our belongings and your organisation had been a real ‘life-saver’ at what had been (and still is) a stressful time for us under very adverse circumstances.
Your organisation’s storage facility and support with logistics has made a great difference and had at least been able to reduce our stress over one of the problems we had been hit with.
Re 5) Unfortunately has our situation not improved since we first had to approach your organisation with a request for help. We are still homeless with additional expenses and pressures whilst we are waiting to find accessible accommodation, as our health and/or mobility has significantly deteriorated.
But because of your organisation’s much appreciated assistance we had at least been able to focus on trying to find a way forward with our housing situation instead of having to worry each day about our belongings also .
Re 6) I would highly recommend your organisation to others in similar need to mine. In my case your organisation had shown itself to be a light at the end of what had been (and still is) a very dark and extremely scary tunnel and it had made a great and very positive difference.
We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s kind support so far.
Thank you and God bless .
Mr John
It's a pleasure to complete the questionnaire about the service Fairstore provided for SAFFA and our client, Mr D, in 2022-24.
I was recommended by a contact within HMP High Down to contact Fairstore when this man was desperate to keep as many of his possessions as possible, having been arrested and remanded the previous year with no chance - or funds - to put his belongings into storage.
I was impressed by how quickly Fairstore were able to act to meet the deadline to clear his flat, sending men to pack the goods and load them for transfer to your storage facility. I had been Mr D’s caseworker for over a year and had negotiated with him what could and what could not be saved, and on the removal day, attended to oversee the activity.
SSAFA is a charity that signposts veterans of the British Armed Forces to a range of financial assistance that military charities may be able to provide, while also ensuring that they have access to other help to which they are entitled, such as from the Government.
The work Fairstore did on this occasion was very much appreciated by the client, as it meant that, on release, he was able to be reunited with possessions that he valued, and this has now taken place, thanks to the patience of Fairstore in providing storage for much longer than had been anticipated.
I would certainly recommend Fairstore and their managers for their quick understanding of the situation, their willingness to help a man in need and their general efficiency.
Kind regards
Mrs Nancy
1. What circumstances qualified you for charitable storage assistance?
I have been living with my husband and children in a single room in temporary housing for over a year. The room is extremely small, barely enough for us, and unfortunately, we cannot afford the cost of storage, especially since we don’t know how long we will need it.
2. Who else was affected?
My family and I.
3. How quickly did we respond? Rate our efficiency?
I am grateful to the entire team for their quick response and efforts to help us.
4. What did we do to help, and how did it impact you?
I was provided with a safe and clean place to store our clothes and personal belongings, which saved us from having to throw them away, as we barely fit in the room we live in. This gave us peace of mind, knowing that everything we own is stored in a safe and clean place.
5. How has your situation improved since then?
Our situation has improved because we no longer have to worry about paying for storage every month. However, we hope to find a house soon so we can retrieve our belongings.
6. Would you recommend us? Why or why not?
Yes, I would highly recommend you because I see other families in temporary housing who haven’t heard of your service and cannot afford storage costs, so they are forced to live in overcrowded rooms with all their belongings.
In the end, I suggest that you find more volunteers; it would be better if we could access our storage whenever we need it since we left all our clothes, books, and personal items there.
Sometimes, it’s difficult for us to access them, especially when we suddenly need our jackets or winter clothes.
Thank you for your efforts in providing storage for families in need.
Sam Meacham
1. What circumstances qualified you for charitable storage assistance?
Was unfortunately in prison
2. Who else was affected?
My friends and girlfriend at the time
3. How quickly did we respond? Rate our efficiency?
Very quickly an 8/10
4. What did we do to help, and how did it impact you?
Was able to arrange to store my belongings so that I did not lose them . Really made a difference to my life knowing my items would not be lost and I would not have to buy things again and lose nostalgic sentiments
5. How has your situation improved since then?
I was able to put the furniture and my belongings finally into my new flat. Gave me much help as a platform to move forward
6. Would you recommend us? Why or why not?
Yes 100% it’s nice to know that there are people who do care and will help you when you think all else is lost. Forever thank you ❤️