Although raising enough funds to support its work is a constant challenge for charities like Julian House, there are other ways that organisations and individuals can give meaningful help.
Two of the charity’s long-time supporters have recently proven that point: Sulis Hospital Bath (formerly Circle Bath) and housebuilder, Redcliffe Homes.
Redcliffe Homes have been committed supporters over a number of years. When the furniture and homewares items from one of their show homes were being cleared out, Julian House was their first port of call for repurposing these.
Mandy Parker is the firm’s Marketing & Sales Coordinator: “We provide homes for people who want to buy them. Julian House helps people to find homes who are desperate for accommodation but not well placed to access it. That’s a good part of the reason why Redcliffe has supported the charity for many years. This show home furniture and other items have hardly been used – so what better way to reuse them by installing them in some of the supported housing projects that Julian House manages.”
When charities receive targeted support in kind, such as this, it means that hard earned financial resources can be redirected towards providing more help to its beneficiaries. Likewise, it can improve the quality of the items that might have been purchased by the charity’s own money.
Sulis Hospital have also been supporting Julian House over an extended period, with donations, auction prizes and staff collections for the charity’s shops. Once again, their chefs gave some gastronomic cheer at Christmas and provided a full meal to the main hostel and in some of the residents in supported housing projects.
Cecil Weir, the charity’s Fundraising Director, would always encourage organisations and individuals to talk to charities first about the most effective ways that they can support them: “Our main hostel in Bath is a 24 hour a day facility. It’s very busy and the staff are often stretched. Covid has made things a bit trickier because we had to limit access to the project for our loyal band of volunteers. This gift of a quality pre-prepared meal from Sulis Hospital means that staff can have a break from preparing the main meal, plus the clients in hostel get a little gastronomic treat.”
“Likewise, what Redcliffe Homes has done for us is terrific. From their previous support they knew what we did and what we might need. Dialogue between supporters and charities is a great way to get better outcomes the most important people in all this – the clients that everyone wants to see having a better life.”
Offers of support in kind, whether that be professional services or items, should be directed in the first instance to Cecil Weir at cecil.weir@julianhouse.org.uk or 01225 354652.
