Smallwood Trust Announces Beneficiaries of Women’s Urgent Support Fund Round 2

We are pleased to announce the 39 organisations that have been awarded funding in Round 2 of the Women’s Urgent Support Fund (WUSF). These grants, totalling £2.2 million, will help address the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on women across England by supporting grassroots women-led organisations providing vital services.

With this round of funding, the total amount awarded across both rounds reached £5.4 million, supporting 103 organisations dedicated to tackling gendered poverty and financial insecurity. The National Lottery Community Fund’s support has enabled the Smallwood Trust to continue its mission of empowering women through financial resilience, mental health support and advocacy.

Summary of Some Organisations Funded Through WUSF Round 2

Quetzal

Quetzal supports women living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. With funding of £41,500, The project aims to address the fundamental needs of disabled women at risk of poverty through a holistic support approach: Providing access to mental health services, advice, and advocacy to help women navigate and overcome the challenges of their abuse history. Offering confidence building and support to help women gain financial independence and stability. Empowering survivors to develop healthy coping strategies and reduce reliance on unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance misuse, gambling or hoarding which also reduce their financial stability. The funding will allow Quetzal to Increase the number of counselling sessions provided by trained counsellors and emotional support by support workers to reduce waiting times and provide timely assistance. We will also develop and implement new group sessions tailored to the unique needs of disabled women and investing in technology and accessibility tools to ensure our resources are fully accessible.

Pendle Women’s Forum

This Forum promotes any charitable purpose for the benefit of women and young persons from disadvantaged communities in Pendle, Lancashire. £60,000 to fund a project that will take the holistic approach, looking at the barriers women in poverty face due to the cost-of-living crisis. Barriers include, rising cost of food, bills, household essentials, fuel poverty, increased debt, language barriers, poor health and wellbeing. The project will provide wrap-around support with a programme of self development activities to help tackle these barriers, and help vulnerable women meet their basic priority needs, alleviate poverty, become financially resilient and build their confidence and skills to become independent individuals.

Latin American Disabled People Project (LADPP)

The only organisation in London devoted to serving disabled people​ as well as their carers, families and communities from Latin America, Europe and Africa, whose main languages are Spanish and Portuguese since 1989. £60,000 funding will enable LADPP to create a new role for a Project Coordinator, who will lead and manage the project supporting Spanish and Portuguese women speakers and their families severely affected by the cost-of-living crisis. The Project Coordinator will oversee the delivery of essential services, including housing advice, mental health support, and financial literacy workshops. The Project Coordinator will recruit volunteers, plan activities, manage the one-to-one appointment and drop-in session and use social media and digital services to deliver the project to the community, also, publicity, and advertise the project to maximise impact and reach many women.

The Romanian and Eastern European Hub
A charity providing services designed to support the Romanian and Eastern European communities both in London and more widely across the UK. £60,000 funding to Support Women affected by the cost-of-living crisis and poverty in the Romanian and Roma Romanian communities, including survivors of Domestic Abuse, sole carers, those who have been in care, with disabilities, forced married, with insecure immigration status and/or health issues will gain confidence, skills and support to become financially independent. This funding will give The Romanian and Eastern European Hub much needed stability over the medium term to continue the delivery of their vital frontline service and raise awareness of support available during the challenging cost-of-living crisis. We are the first point of contact for all Ukrainian nationals arriving in the London Borough of Harrow. Our Ukrainian speaking caseworkers can provide support and advice for issues such as: welfare benefits (referrals to CAB Harrow), immigration advice (referrals Harrow Law Centre), access to education, access to healthcare (including GP registrations), opening a bank account, learning English, employment support, and many more.

For a full list of the grantees please see below.