A big 'thank you' to our new friend Andrew who dropped by with a wonderful donation
A well-wisher popped into the project this week to drop off a welcome donation - a number of swish airline in-flight goody bags.
The donor, Andrew, thought the packs, which contain basic toiletries and socks, would find a good home here at the New Futures Project. And he was right.
The women who visit our drop-in are among the most vulnerable and socially isolated we see in the course of our work and they are crying out for these everyday essentials.
We pride ourselves on being there for them when they need us, but our capacity to offer them a change of clothes and other necessities is growing more limited by the week.
Every moment the women spend with us in drop-in is crucial because it helps us gain their trust and plan in detail what we need to do to help them now and in the future.
Avril Lewis, crisis support manager, said: "We're very grateful to Andrew for this donation. It was very kind of him to think of us and the women we support.
"Every donation like this one goes to a woman in real need.
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It's the time of year when we begin to build up our stocks of good quality winter clothing, blankets and sleeping bags.
The fear of losing women to the cold weather comes around every year and it's only a matter of a couple of months before temperatures begin to fall rapidly.
The women we support, particularly those who are sleeping rough or who are drifting from address to address, are especially vulnerable.
Even those who have who have places of their own are at risk because they can’t simply afford to heat them adequately.
Avril continued: "It is starting to get cold now, so we would love to hear from anyone who can help us build up our stocks of warm, winter clothing - good quality coats, jumpers, scarves, shoes or boots, and woolly hats."
Apart from clothing, here's a rough guide to the kind of donations we need regularly:
Deodorant (roll-on)
Shower gel
Dry shampoo
Shampoo
Conditioner
Antibacterial hand gel
Water wipes
Feminine wipes
Tampons
Sanitary towels
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Body cream
Breakfast bars
If you would like to drop off a donation, call us on 0116 251 0803 to arrange a day and time. We are open Monday to Thursday.
We are in London Road, just a short distance up the road from Leicester railway station and parking is available nearby.
We may be able to collect too. Again, please call us for a chat.
The New Futures Project offers a comprehensive welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation, domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.
Call us on 0116 251 0803 or send us a message at: info@new-futures.org.uk
You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.
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