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Staff at Waltham Abbey Fire Station helped raise over £600 to fund starter kits for single and family households who have had to leave their homes because of domestic abuse.
Starter kits
In the past year, over 100 households have come to Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) citing domestic abuse as the reason for their homelessness. Given the nature and urgency of these situations, many people in this position are placed into temporary accommodation with nothing other than the clothes on their back.
The kits include everyday items such as:
- Bedding
- A kettle
- A toaster
- Cups
- Towels
The idea came from the EFDC Domestic Abuse Support Specialist and has been taken on by the Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership as a project to support and grow.
Charity car wash
Essex County Fire and Rescue staff at Waltham Abbey Fire Station hosted a charity car wash at the end of March to raise money for the starter kits.
They were very busy thanks to the local community’s support, raising a total of £620 in one day, which will help fund 7 single person starter kits.
Thank you
An EFDC spokesperson said:
The starter boxes help ease, what is a very traumatic, unsettling, and overwhelming time, when there are so many things to think about before someone can even start to rebuild their life.
The kits provide vital household equipment and comforts that survivors can call their own and take with them into longer-term accommodation.
With the help of the Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership, we aim to continue providing as many starter boxes as possible for those in need, as well as signposting to a range of services that will help to make a fresh start.
I’d also like to say a huge thank you to the staff at Waltham Abbey Fire Station and to those who donated.
A well-thought-out gift
One recipient of a starter kit said:
Wow! The starter kit was such a helpful and useful gift. Having nothing and starting again is overwhelming. Where do you begin? It was lovely to open the box and have things to hand to help you on the next part of your journey.
The content made a difference, and it was one less thing that I had to think about with everything else that’s going on. A well-thought-out gift. Thank you so much.
Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership
The Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership is made up of different organisations who work together to reduce crime and disorder in the district.
The Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership includes:
- Epping Forest District Council
- Essex County Council
- Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
- Essex Police
- Essex Probation
- Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
- Voluntary organisations
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