It was just another referral. A young mum with six children who had moved into new premises and was trying to sort out furniture. The support worker put the referral in. It was urgent, as so many are, but the children didn’t have beds to sleep on and a number of other were needed urgently. The referral was completed as soon as we could and as always we felt a sense of accomplishment that had helped another family resettle into a home without the need to take on any debt. A few weeks later the mum and her support worker were back, this time to buy a cheap dining room table and chairs.
While the delivery form was being completed the support worker thanked us for the other items that been provided free and the real impact, the beds in particular, had made on the lives of the children. All the children had been poor attenders at school and when they did attend their behaviour was not good. Once the children had beds, mum had insisted on proper night time routines and because they were not only going to bed at regular hours, but were also getting a good nights sleep they were waking refreshed and ready for school. The support worker was absolutely delighted and mum was over the moon. She now wanted to organise mealtimes and provide somewhere for the children to do their homework, which she felt would bring even more stability and organisation to the family. An amazing outcome from the simple provision of a few mattresses.