Macc recently managed the latest Spirit of Manchester Fund round of grants which focused on organisations that support people with the cost of living crisis. We will be sharing one story a day in July to show the impact of these grants and the wide range of projects that they supported. Today, we have the story from MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health):
"At MASH, we are proud to stand with women who sex work and support them in achieving good health, safety and emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, this is increasingly challenging with the Cost of Living Crisis. More and more women are struggling with poverty and finding it hard to make ends meet.
That is why we have set up a Hardship Fund to provide essential support to women in moments of financial crisis. Through this fund, we have been able to offer practical help to women who need it the most. From a mobile phone to stay connected, to a weekly bus pass to attend medical appointments, or even kitchen utensils to cook themselves a decent meal, our support has made a huge difference in their daily lives.
For some women, the Hardship Fund has given them their dignity back. We recently helped a woman who had been struggling with her mental health and had lost her dentures. As she began to recover, she felt increasingly self-conscious about her appearance and needed dentures to attend important meetings with confidence. She had saved up most of the money. With our Hardship Fund, we were able to help her cover the remaining cost of the dentures, giving her the boost she needed to put her best foot forward and succeed.
“These dentures made such a huge difference, they preserved her dignity and helped her to function day to day with confidence” Jane, MASH frontline staff
We are extremely grateful to the Spirit of Manchester for contributing to our Hardship Fund. This money has made a real impact on the lives of the women we support, enabling them to overcome financial difficulties and achieve greater independence, health, and wellbeing. Thank you for standing with us and helping us make a difference in the lives of some of the women who are most impacted by the Cost of Living Crisis."
