A Rotary club has decided to back an online charity which supports many individuals and families struggling to pay essential bills.
Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club is to set aside £200 a month for Acts 435, a direct giving charity which enables donors to give to a specific need for an individual or family. The club heard that over the last two years the charity has seen a doubling in the amount of needs their donors are fulfilling. As the cost of living continues to increase the charity foresees more individuals and families going without basic essentials to meet the demands from the rising costs of utilities and food.
A meeting of the club was told that the requests are for small, specific items that can make a big difference to an individual or family at their time of need.
Acts 435 has local advocates who identify people in need and club president Rotarian John Yeomans told members that as a result the charity had been very successful. “There are people in Shrewsbury who have needs we would never get to hear about and this is a positive way of helping these people. We have learnt over the years how successful giving small amounts of money can be to individuals and organisations and Acts 435 is a valuable and worthwhile scheme to support.”
Members agreed to set aside £200 a month to pay into the system and at the same time look through the needs of those in poverty or facing crisis.
Jenny Herrera, executive director of Acts 435, said that in the last two years the charity had helped 14,000 people. Of those helped with specific items, over 4,000 of them said that one of the main reasons for seeking help was that they were struggling with bills and debts. She added that this was a rise on the previous two years (2018/19), a trend that the charity knows will escalate as people’s budgets are squeezed tighter with the increase in the cost of living.
There are currently three appeals in Shrewsbury: £100 needed for flooring for a flat; £120 needed for a fridge freezer; £80 needed for a coffee table and two wardrobes.
The link to the website giving a full explanation of the charity’s activities is Acts 435 – giving to anyone who has need. The website address is admin@acts435.org.uk
