Summer Newsletter 2025

Your support makes wishes come true

With so much difficulty and hardship here at home and around the world, it is more important than ever to come together to help those in need. And this Christmas, you did exactly that by giving so generously to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Through your kindness, you made wishes come true.

Gail is one of more than 7,660 people we helped with an emergency grant through the Vicar’s Relief Fund. By giving her a grant to cover the first month’s rent, we helped her secure a stable home. Turn to page 4 to read more about how vital that support was to Gail.

Monthly gifts are vital to our capacity to provide essential support throughout the year. Knowing what’s coming in helps us plan what we can send out, in grants or for frontline work. If you feel you can help in this way, there’s a form enclosed with your newsletter.

As we prepare to celebrate the centenary of our Christmas Appeal next year, we are as committed as ever to innovation and preparing for the future. Turn to page 6 to read about how your support is funding an exciting project that has the potential to help give more people the specific help they need, when they need it.

Your support in action this year

We make sure that your donations go where they are most needed to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness:

Last year, thanks to the kindness of people like you, £2,006,412 was given out in emergency grants. Those grants helped 7660 people and their families when they were facing the immediate threat of becoming homeless.

You helped make sure we could hear from 1100 frontline workers through our annual survey, which is a vital source of insight, reflection and direction for the year to come.

Thank you

You make work like this possible

To donate call free 0800 082 82 84 Visit www.smitfc/together

Or complete and return your personalised form sent with this newsletter

Your donations helped provide essential training to 849 of our amazing frontline workers, who provide emotional and practical support to people on every step of their journey.

Thanks to you, we were able to start 3 new projects through our mental health and homelessness funding programme.

Gail wants to say a huge thank you

When Gail urgently needed help, you were there.

It’s hard to imagine anybody more vulnerable and in need of expert support than Gail was, not that long ago.

In her late 60s, Gail was living with chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, neuropathy and arthritis. She was also recovering from breast cancer, used a mobility scooter, had an oxygen cylinder and had to sleep in a hospital bed.

Those would have been challenging enough circumstances, but Gail was also living with her husband’s constant coercive behaviour and threats of violence.

She needed somewhere safe to live and heal – and fast.

West Mercia Women’s Aid was able to work closely with a local housing provider to find Gail her own place to live. But the initial cost to secure that housing was beyond Gail’s means. Thanks to the kindness of supporters like you, through West Mercia Women’s Aid we were able to provide an emergency grant to pay Gail’s first month’s rent in advance. That secured her a safe and stable home, where she could finally start her physical and emotional recovery.

Gail has now been able to reconnect with her children and grandchildren and has settled well into the community. And away from a stressful, abusive environment, her health has improved enormously.

“[St Martins Charity] has been

fantastic in providing deposits that enable women to make their escape and move into safety and comfort, so that we can support them in their ongoing recovery.”

CEO, West Mercia Women’s Aid

A leap of faith

Your support allows us to be innovative and courageous

When it comes to helping people who are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of doing so, it’s vital that we’re prepared to change and adapt, so that we’re always providing the best possible support.

Which is why we’re proud to be partnering with the Centre for Homelessness Impact on a groundbreaking project that is testing cash transfers as a way of supporting people out of homelessness.

For many years, giving money directly to people experiencing hardship, known as a cash transfer, has been used in countries all over the world as an effective route out of poverty.

“[This project] was made possible by the courage and far-sightedness of St Martin-in-the-Fields charity. I salute them.”

Dr Ligia Teixeira, Chief Executive, Centre for Homelessness Impact

Despite the evidence that cash transfers work, this is the first time they have been trialled in the United Kingdom.

In the first phase of the project, 180 individuals were invited to join the trial. They were then split into two groups.

One group received a one-time cash grant, and the second group continued to receive support services as usual but no direct cash grant.

Results from the first phase are now being analysed and so far there is only good news.

Furniture, courses and technology were among the first things participants chose to invest in – and some people also wanted to give to help others in need. Crucially, the people taking part reported that their wellbeing had improved, meaning they were happier, more socially connected, and able to make long term choices, aiding their progression out of homelessness.

Analysis of the initial results is ongoing. And recently the project has expanded to London and Belfast. We look forward to sharing further results and insights with you later in the year.

Thank you for your support. Your kindness is a leap of faith, and it helps people change their lives, every day.

Your gift for generations to come…

With your help, we’ll make sure that vital support is always available for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Gifts in Wills are essential to keeping that promise, and keeping our services open for all the people who will need them in the future.

Leaving a gift in your Will to St Martin’s Charity is quick, easy and could make a life-changing difference for generations to come.

If you’d like to find out more, you can get in touch below:

Call 020 3795 5745

Email info@stmartinscharity.org.uk

Registered charity numbers: 1156305/261359