Donate now and be a lifeline to vulnerable people throughout Britain

Britain is facing a devastating cost-of-living crisis, and the effects are being felt by us all. However, for people who are older, living with long-term health conditions, or are already vulnerable, the situation is becoming dire.

Your donation could help us to deliver our front-line services to more clients, and support people through the crisis by:

making personal calls and welfare checks
increasing the number of our lunch and social clubs so that people can enjoy a hot, nutritious meal in the company of others
providing safe and secure transport to our clubs, and to and from essential medical appointments
supporting patients as they return home from hospital alone, helping them to get back on their feet. This includes providing clients with warm clothing - dressing gowns, slippers, blankets, and hot water bottles – essential as we move into the colder months
providing food packs that contain essential items
working with local foodbanks and helping people to access other support services, such as fuel vouchers.

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Please give what you can, so we can give our all

Our teams on the frontline are seeing significantly higher cases of people living in food and fuel poverty and struggling to cope. They are witnessing first-hand the impact on those who are having to make tough decisions about what basic life-sustaining provisions they can afford. These impossible choices are already affecting their welfare, and the situation is only going to get worse as we move into winter.

Figures recently released by the Food Foundation show in April, 7.3 million adults were living in households that said they had gone without food or could not physically get it in the past month, which is an alarming 57% jump in the number of households cutting back or missing meals altogether since January. Recent discussions with some of the people we support has revealed that many are already only eating one main meal per day.

Please help us to change this.

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This latest crisis is already having an impact on physical and mental health

“I have had to start skipping meals. I am hungry, but I’m saving money on my food bills and by not cooking, I don’t have to worry about how much the oven would cost me to use. Come the winter when I need to have my heating on too, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know how I’m going to survive.”

This was said by one of the people we support, and unfortunately, it’s becoming a familiar story. Fears around the cost of food and heating homes are spiralling, and for those already struggling, facing the winter months will feel impossible.

This is why our lunch clubs are so important. As well as providing a hot meal and a safe, warm space, it gives us the opportunity to check in on the most vulnerable in our community, and make sure they are ok.

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How your donation could help

£2 could cover the cost of a personal companionship call and welfare check.

£5 could cover the cost of a nutritious hot meal at one of our Lunch Clubs or centres.

£10 could help a vulnerable person safely attend a vital medical appointment through our patient transport service.

£15 could cover the cost of food vouchers for a day.

£30 could help support someone returning home from hospital alone with ongoing visits, food shopping and prescription collections.

£50 could cover the cost of a ‘Home from Hospital Care Package’ which includes a dressing gown, slippers, a blanket, and a hot water bottle – essential as we move into the colder months.

£70 could cover the cost of recruiting, training, and placing a volunteer in an NHS hospital or local community. This will help us to be there for more vulnerable people when it matters most.

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Giving our all, always.

Royal Voluntary Service already provides essential services to tens of thousands of people throughout Britain. We support people at home, in communities, and in the NHS through a wide range of services, including helping those who are coming home from hospital alone, taking patients safely to and from their medical appointments, transporting people to buy their shopping or meet their friends, and by providing companionship for those who are isolated. We also provide lunch clubs where older and vulnerable people can enjoy a hot meal in the company of others in a warm and friendly environment.

Demand for our services is rising. By the end of this year, we are anticipating we will need to support 360,000 people. And with an increased need for our services, there is a demand to recruit, train and mobilise 50,000 volunteers.

Last year, our volunteers drove over 1 million miles delivering our services to older and vulnerable people in Britain, but the recent hike in fuel prices will mean that some people can no longer afford to volunteer. This will have devastating consequences on those who are desperately dependent on our services, at a time when demand is growing. Without additional donations, we simply aren’t going to be able to be there for everyone who asks for our help this year.

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