Report for More to her Life charity (1191910) financial period from foundation of charity to 31.7.21
Fundraising
The entirety of income for the charity campaigns have been fundraising and donations. The charity has received no funding or grants to complete our work. We have chosen not to apply for any grants or funding and to solely fund our work through donations.
This fundraising has been online using predominately Facebook as the preferred platform. The charity has established a community online mainly of entrepreneurs who support the vision and the projects we deliver.
More to her Life utilised the Just Giving platform to run campaigns and receive donations. During these campaigns we shared online the planned projects, the need behind the project and the impact the projects would have. The community then donated to that campaign on Just Giving platform or directly to the charity using Stripe platform. Our supporters chose to either contribute along with others to the projects or to fund an entire project themselves.
The charity also established “Creative Partners” relationships with online entrepreneurs who pledged to donate a percentage of their own business income to the charity each month. In return they received graphics and charity updates that they could share with their own clients and audience to communicate their support of women who experience domestic abuse.
Projects delivered
Christmas Campaign
14 women and 17 children impacted
How was the project created?
I was speaking to one of the refuges I work with about Christmas and what the women and their children experience over Christmas. This refuge houses 14 women with their children. Each year the refuge receives many donations of toys for the children at Christmas and they are beautifully wrapped ready to be given out on Christmas morning. This is greatly appreciated! One year the women had one request, they asked to receive the toys and a roll of wrapping paper. They wanted to be more involved in the joy of giving, they wanted to feel connected to Christmas again.
How did More to her Life answer this need?
The core of the request here is that the women wanted more involvement and personal autonomy and to remove part of the feeling of charity.
More to her Life designed a Christmas Campaign that would involve the women in even more of the Christmas experience. The project would gift each woman with vouchers so that she could shop for her children and herself this year. She could create the Christmas she wanted and could feel the joy we all feel on Christmas morning as we pass a gift we picked out ourselves.
We raised just over £2000 which was shared between all the women and children at the refuge.
What was the Impact?
The refuge explained the impact;
The support provided to our clients by More to her life is beyond valuable. As a charity we provide expert support to victims of domestic abuse with regards to safety plans, signposting towards safety and emotional support, but what More to her life offer is a sense of a normal life back.
More to her Life is helping to give our clients in refuge the real feeling of Christmas back. By providing vouchers for shops, our clients can choose what items they’d like to buy for their family and wrap and give them to them themselves. It reduces the feeling of ‘charity’ and gives ownership of the present process directly to our clients themselves.
We give our clients the opportunity to live a life safe from abuse, and working with More to her Life means that we can offer much more than just that. These ‘little extras’ provided can empower our clients to believe that there truly is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Christmas is going to be different for everyone this year, but especially for those who have sought safety in one of our refuges. The sense of normalcy that More to her Life are providing for our clients is incredibly valued at the end of what has been an especially difficult year.
Here are the thank you notes received from the women in the refuge;
“Being in a refuge is strange at the best of times, let alone during Christmas time and during a pandemic. It was so so lovely to receive the gift cards earlier this week. During a year that’s been hard for everyone no matter their circumstances it’s so humbling and touching to see a group of women still thinking of others and it really means so much. It’s the first Christmas I’ve been able to do Christmas the way I want to for my daughters. To leave a plate out for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve and leave the presents under the tree for them to find in the morning, and although there is a relief in being able to do this and to be in a safe and happy place there is that worry of being able to give them the best. With the generosity of these gifts it really will make things even more special. So, thank you for showing love and care to ladies and families during a difficult time, you are truly very special and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.”
“Myself and C would like to thank you for the vouchers, such a kind and generous thing to do. I have used mine for a coat. C is very artistic and has used hers for art equipment and Animé books to copy from. Thank you again hope you all have a lovely Christmas”
“I would like to say thank you for this heartfelt gift. You are all very considerate. Your kindness and generosity have brightened my heart. Please accept my deepest thanks.”
“I just wanted to tell you and the 65 wonderful women a massive thank you! It has been such a unexpected and incredible surprise your generous gift. All my life I have been working really hard for everything and I am not used with this kind of kindness, this is especially true for the last 10 years. With your remarkable generosity and phenomenal gesture you communicated your solidarity and support towards me. What you have done is inspiring.
I`ve got it! There are magnificent women out there who care. There is hope in the world. I promise that I will be as you are one day!
Keep shining and be the beaming light to those around you. I wish you and your loved ones a Very Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year!”
“Regarding the vouchers you handled to me last week from ‘more to her life’. I would like to convey my thankfulness to Victoria Padmore, and all who has been direct and indirectly involved in it. I have used the amazon voucher to buy a rice cooker and other items which I’ll need soon in my house, also some food from Sainsbury. May God always keep all of you bless and safe.”
“I would like to thank you all for the vouchers. Very kind of you thanks again I haven’t yet thought how to spend but am very grateful.”
“I’d like to thank everyone for their support and love and kind wishes through this difficult time. Many thanks to you all”
YOG
24 women impacted
Why was the project created?
All of More to her Life projects are designed taking into account personal experiences of moving on from an abusive relationship and also speaking to other domestic abuse charities.
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During a previous project More to her Life delivered we were praised for “removing the feeling of charity” for the women we impacted. This is linked closely with self-esteem, by living with constant support from others without being able to give back women can question their own self worth and their ability to build a life on their own without a dominant supportive force in their lives. By working to remove this feeling and give back some self-worth women can start to build confidence that they can build a life they want to live.
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When moving on from an abusive relationship there is still a transitional time where women spend a lot of time talking about their previous relationship, especially if they are going through criminal cases or child contact arrangements. Their previous partner still holds a lot of their focus as they have to speak to multiple agencies about the abuse. This can cloud their perspective as they spend so long remembering an overwhelmingly negative relationship. Often through this women can forget about the many positive relationships in their lives as the negativity clouds their view of relationships.
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Gratitude is a mindset practice that changes your outlook on every aspect of life. By improving mindset women can create a more positive life in general simply because they are focusing their attention on the positive elements in their lives.
Therefore, Year of Gratitude was created to improve self-worth, nurture and bring attention to positive relationships and develop a gratitude mindset in every aspect of life.
How did More to her Life answer this need?
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More to her Life funds a gift from this woman to someone who supporter her as a token of their thanks!
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This part of the project is to help her think about all the people who did support her through her journey so far. Being able to thank them for their support will really improve their selfesteem and also nurture the relationship by creating a more equal flow of energy between the two of them.
The women themselves are choosing who they would like to thank and why, this way they truly think through the value of this relationship, that they do have positive people in their life and how they would like to show their gratitude.
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They will also be gifted a guided gratitude journal to help continue their focus on what they are grateful for in their lives. The journal takes them through daily practices to look at different areas of their lives, identify and focus on the positives in each of these areas.
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Along with this they are gifted a bracelet with the inscription “The rest is still unwritten” . More to her Life ethos is focused on creating a life away from abuse and focusing on moving forward. This quote is a constant reminder that they can design their life moving forward.
This is the impact our charitable partners know this project will deliver to the women they work with;
“Year of Gratitude is a great way of both empowering victims and survivors of domestic abuse to reconnect with the people who genuinely care about them. The idea would begin to form a space of trust in equal healthy relationships and also ensure survivors knew that they had and have a community around them that cares deeply for their wellbeing”. Aurora New Dawn
“All clients that we support will have that one friend or family member who has believed them and supported them. It can be a roller coaster journey (with highs and lows) and the idea of the Year of Gratitude project is brilliant! They will be able to thank that person with a gift (which they would not normally be able to afford) and this can empower, lift mood and show that with all the negativity in the world, there is also positivity and a way to break free”. The Dash Charity
House to a Home
3 women and 4 children impacted
How was the project created?
When leaving a woman’s refuge or shelter there are many mixed emotions, this refuge has become her sanctuary full of daily support and safety. This could be the first time she has felt safety in years, possibly in her life so moving on from this environment is a daunting experience. However, the woman is also so excited to have her own house where she can start to build her future life. She has built up an image of this incredible next stage of her life.
Unfortunately, in the move there are often items missing, such as a bed, carpets or kitchen appliances. Also the move is often rushed with women accepting a property and moving within a week, no time to arrange these items.
More to her Life charity exists to ensure that every woman who is leaving an abusive relationship is confident, excited and ready to build an incredible life away from abuse.
How did More to her Life answer this need?
We decided we would answer needs from women who had large items missing from their home such as essential furniture or functional items. I also strongly feel that these women should get new items that that choose themselves. So, once we know the value of the items missing they are delivered vouchers to shop themselves. I wanted the women to love, not just accept the items they bought and ensure it met their wants as well as their needs.
However, I also felt that I wanted every woman to be able to make their house more homely even if all essential items were supplied. Therefore, we also offered every woman moving out of the refuge a voucher to buy exactly what they wanted, be it some decoration or new curtains or kitchen ware. The choice was theirs.
What was the Impact?
At time of writing this More to her Life have bought a brand new Fridge Freezer, Washing Machine and Electric Cooker! Along with 3 sets of vouchers to women who are able to choose whatever they would like.
However, this was not delivered within this financial report, the funds were raised but the products were not purchased till next financial year.
FFF
1 woman impacted
More to her Life received a request from one of the refuges we worked with previously from a woman who wanted to increase her physical health and fitness but could not afford a gym membership herself.
She was in recovery from a drug addiction and her ex partner was due to be released from prison. She was concerned that this new stress would lead to her using drugs again. She had started some home exercise and found it really helped with her mental health and release of stress.
More to her Life funded a year long gym membership for her so she could continue improving her mental and physical wellbeing.
Beach Day
17 women and 18 children impacted
Summer 2021 we funded a trip for 17 woman and their children living in a domestic abuse refuge to go to the beach for the day. The charity funded an executive bus and spending money for food and souvenirs for each family.
This day was to give the women and children an experience to show them how life can be away from abuse and to give them an experience of bonding with their family without any fear or suppression.
These are the thank you notes from some of the women;
“I was able to take my three children to the beach for the very first time, it brought tears to my eyes. We all had the best time. We all went in the sea and to the fair and were able to sit and have a
nice meal thanks to the extra money we were given. Thank you for a great day and memories I will cherish forever.”
“Thank you so much for a lovely day out, I really enjoyed it. We had so much fun. We bought chips and ran away from seagulls that ate all our chips. We even went on rides which was great, with my mate screaming in my ear saying she was going to die LOL”
Waterpark
1 woman and 1 child impacted
In 2020 More to her Life funded and arranged a trip for a woman to take her teenage son to the waterpark for the day. This mother and son had been struggling with their new lives in a new town especially with all the lockdown restrictions in 2020. They needed to have an experience of freedom and fun to see how their new lives away from abuse can truly be if they continue to work through this difficult transitional stage.
Here is her thank you note;
“The trip to the waterpark allowed me and my son a bit of normality and freedom to do what WE wanted to do, without there being an issue and a fight. To see him belly laugh like he did, showed me that we can have a normal life where we can enjoy things and not be scared about what might happen all of the time; thank you so much for arranging it for us!”
This quote is full of so many images that demonstrate the impact of this project.
The start gives us a glimpse of her previous life, everything was “an issue and a fight”, there was no freedom or space for her and her son to just enjoy each other and spend time bonding.
Just this one day, this one outing has shown this woman that she can have a “normal life”, she can see that although they are in a period of transition they are building towards something so very precious for both of them – normality!
She has that feeling to compare to whenever the thought of returning to abuse even enters her mind.
This family now live in their own home, building their own lives, living freely and joyfully!
Future projects mentioned in accounts
More to MY Life
More to MY Life is a book the charity has published and is on sale as part of our fundraising. During this financial year we established funding for the project and paid Flamingo Publishing to support the publishing with proof reading, editing and formatting to create a professional book.
| 30.8.20 | "My Compliment Diary" sales | 70 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9.20 | "My Compliment Diary" sales | 10 | |
| 1.9.20 | Postage for "My Compliment Diary" products | 21.85 | |
| 1.9.20 | Phone contract | 10 | |
| 8.9.20 | Registration for charity PO Box | 22.8 | |
| 9.9.20 | "My Compliment Diary" sales | 20 | |
| September | Trustee Loan from S.Davis | 500 | |
| September | Branding Package for the charity | 267 | |
| 26.9.20 | PR - Chapter in book | 50 | |
| 26.9.20 | Shutterstock - Images for branding | 90 | |
| 1.10.20 | Phone contract | 10 | |
| 23.10.20 | Canva subscription | 10.99 | |
| 28.10.20 | Website building | 20 | |
| November | Just Giving Christmas campaign | 2094 | |
| 1.11.20 | Phone | 10 | |
| 2.11.20 | Zoom subscription | 14.39 | |
| 3.11.20 | Logo design | 150 | |
| 24.11.20 | Gratitude journal - part of "Year of Gratitiude" campaign | 22 | |
| 26.11.20 | The Entertainer - vouchers part of christmas campaign | 960 | |
| 27.11.20 | Amazon - vouchers part of christmas campaign | 730 | |
| 27.11.20 | Sainsbury - vouchers part of christmas campaign | 285 | |
| 29.11.20 | "Year of Gratitude" campaign branding | 87.5 | |
| 30.11.20 | Website building | 20 | |
| December | Creative Partner Donation - Lucy Hannah | 50 | |
| December | Public Speaking fee - When Women Gather | 50 | |
| 1.12.20 | Phone | 10 | |
| 2.12.20 | Postage as part of Christmas Campaign | 11.8 | |
| 10.12.20 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 17.12.20 | Donation - Rachel Deveaux | 100 | |
| 29.12.20 | Light Ring - needed for online content | 61.99 | |
| 29.12.20 | Website building | 20 | |
| January | Phone | 10 | |
| January | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| January | Website | 20 | |
| 7.1.20 | Year of Gratitude donation - Nicole | 2000 | |
| 14.1.20 | Stripe charges | 58.2 | |
| 19.1.20 | Gratitiude Journals for "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 203.88 | |
| 20.1.20 | Jewellry for "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 214 | |
| 22.1.20 | Trustee Loan - Sandie | 549 | |
| 22.1.20 | Laptop | 549 | |
| 25.1.20 | Amazon - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40.49 | |
| 26.1.20 | Networking | 73.11 | |
| 26.1.20 | One4All voucher - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40.99 | |
| 26.1.20 | Amazon voucher - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40 | |
| 26.1.20 | Postage as part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign (delivery of Jewellry) | 7.65 | |
| 28.1.20 | "Year of Gratitude" campaign branding | 117 | |
| 29.1.20 | Donation - Creative Partner Lucy James | 125 | |
| 29.1.20 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 31.16 |
| 29.1.20 | M&S voucher - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31.1.20 | Donation - Creative Partner Loralei Hallet | 62.84 | |
| 2.2.21 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 2.2.21 | Website building | 120 | |
| 3.2.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Marie Adell | 83 | |
| 3.2.21 | Stripe charge | 2.61 | |
| 3.2.21 | Longacres Nursery - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 41.71 | |
| 4.2.21 | Donation - Diane Felicicchia | 70.6 | |
| 5.2.21 | Donation - Annie Crow | 100 | |
| 11.2.21 | Year of Gratitude donation - Liberty Santiago | 2000 | |
| 11.2.21 | Stripe charge | 58.2 | |
| 12.2.21 | M&S voucher - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40 | |
| 12.2.21 | One4All voucher - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 26.5 | |
| 12.2.21 | Amazon - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 16.95 | |
| 12.2.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 8.48 | |
| 13.2.21 | Microsoft office package | 39.99 | |
| 15.2.21 | One4All voucher - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40 | |
| 15.2.21 | Gift boxes - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 44.28 | |
| 16.2.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 4.69 | |
| 16.2.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 4.69 | |
| 2.3.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Liz Definnis | 147 | |
| 3.3.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Marie Adell | 167 | |
| 1.3.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Lisa Rizolli | 51.33 | |
| 3.3.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Lucy James | 35 | |
| 7.3.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Loralei Hallet | 41.43 | |
| 1.3.21 | Staff Invoices | 2500 | |
| 1.3.21 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 9.3.21 | Stripe charge | 10.19 | |
| 5.3.21 | Branding Package for the charity | 210 | |
| 18.3.21 | Pandora - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 37.99 | |
| 19.3.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 4.89 | |
| 24.3.21 | Just Giving - "House to a Home" campaign | 5524.33 | |
| 24.3.21 | Just Giving fees | 166.46 | |
| 2.4.21 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 3.4.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Liz Definnis | 192.9 | |
| April | Donation - Creative Partner Lucy James | 46 | |
| April | Donation - Creative Partner Marie Adell | 61 | |
| April | Stripe fees | 2.81 | |
| 4.4.21 | Staff Invoices | 2500 | |
| 7.4.21 | Domain for Click Funnel | 14.89 | |
| 7.4.21 | Open Unique Trading -part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 29.53 | |
| 7.4.21 | Pandora - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 37.99 | |
| 7.4.21 | Argos - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 52.95 | |
| 7.4.21 | Look Fantastic - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 39.2 | |
| 7.4.21 | Ponggi/belovedgift - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 45.19 | |
| 7.4.21 | Steven Brown - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 44.98 | |
| 7.4.21 | Not on the highstreet - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 35 | |
| 7.4.21 | Etsy - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 40.98 |
| 8.4.21 | postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 2.95 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.4.21 | postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 2.95 | |
| 8.4.21 | postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 2.95 | |
| 19.4.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 5.05 | |
| 19.4.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 5.05 | |
| 19.4.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 5.05 | |
| 19.4.21 | Postage - part of "Year of Gratitude" campaign | 6.5 | |
| 21.4.21 | Donation Liberty Santiago | 29 | |
| 26.4.21 | Clickfunnels subscription | 72.07 | |
| 28.4.21 | Stripe fees | 0.25 | |
| 29.4.21 | Argos - part of "House to a Home" campaign | 100 | |
| 2.5.21 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 5.5.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Marie Adell | 101 | |
| 5.5.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Liz DeFennis | 55.23 | |
| 6.5.21 | Donation refund - Donor used Just Giving and duplicated her donation | 100 | |
| Coventry Sports Foundation - Part of "Fit, fabulous and free" | |||
| 7.5.21 | campaign | 280 | |
| 7.5.21 | Staff Invoices | 750 | |
| 10.5.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Lucy James | 58 | |
| 12.5.21 | Stripe fees | 3.13 | |
| 14.5.21 | Argos - part of "House to a Home" campaign | 700 | |
| 17.5.21 | Stripe fees | 2.01 | |
| 19.5.21 | Donations (Just Giving) - "Fit Fabulous and free" campaign | 290 | |
| 19.5.21 | Just Giving fees | 9.41 | |
| 29.5.21 | Clickfunnels - One Funnel training | 72.87 | |
| 30.5.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Liz DeFennis | 62.84 | |
| 1.6.21 | Staff Invoices | 750 | |
| 12.6.21 | Donation - Creative Partner Lucy James | 40 | |
| 12.6.21 | Stripe fees | 0.76 | |
| 6.6.21 | Trustee Loan repayment - S.Davis | 300 | |
| 3.6.21 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 18.6.21 | Donation - "More to MY Life" Campaign - Nicole Barker | 3000 | |
| 18.6.21 | Stripe fees | 87.2 | |
| 18.6.21 | Fuzzy Flamingo Publishing - Part of "More to MY Life" campaign | 1750 | |
| 23.6.21 | Argos - part of "House to a Home" campaign | 50 | |
| 21.6.21 | Donation - Rachel Green Paypal | 17 | |
| 1.7.21 | Staff Invoices | 750 | |
| 2.7.21 | Zoom | 14.39 | |
| 6.7.21 | Coach for "Beach Day" campaign | 600 | |
| 21.7.21 | Donations (Just Giving) - "Beach Day" campaign | 640.44 | |
| 21.7.21 | Beach Day - spending money for beneficiaries | 270 | |
| 26.7.21 | Donations (Just Giving) - "Beach Day" campaign | 130.34 | |
| 28.7.21 | Donations (Just Giving) - "Beach Day" campaign | 393.98 |
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