MoorVision knows that a relatively small amount of money can make a huge difference for families struggling with the costs associated with caring for a child with a disability. The Devon charity has been providing advice, support and activities for families of children and young people with vision impairment for almost 20 years. It had not previously offered crisis funding, but when the Food, Fuel and More grant became available MoorVision jumped at the chance to help its families meet essential costs.
“We’d always been aware that a number of our families were struggling,” says Laura Hughes, the charity’s chief executive officer. While MoorVision was able to offer some help such as making sure a family was receiving the correct Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or directing them to Citizen’s Advice, it had not been able to provide assistance with living costs before receiving the Food, Fuel and More grant. “We see these families very much face to face and first–hand,” says Laura. “So we felt confident we’d be able to identify families who needed it.”
Laura explains that children and young people with vision impairment are often living with other additional needs. And, as it is a relatively unusual disability, they often have to travel long distances for hospital appointments – many are under the care of Great Ormond Street or Moorfields Eye Hospital, both in London. “They have to get to those appointments and there’s no help for them financially,” says Laura. She adds that MoorVision works with a number of single-parent families, and many where one parent has had to give up work to care for their child, so they are often facing significant financial pressures.
Thanks to the Food, Fuel and More funding, MoorVision has been able to buy vital equipment for children and families, as well as contributing to food and fuel costs. Laura says the charity put in a lot of work at the outset to make sure it had the thorough policies and processes needed to administer the funding. It was hard work, but more than worth it. “I knew it was leading to something positive,” says Laura. “It’s such a joy to be able to put that support into place.”
“It's such a joy to be able to put that support into place”
Our Food, Fuel and More grant scheme has now relaunched. Click below for more information and to apply.
Funding for this scheme is made possible via the Household Support Fund, managed by Devon County Council on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
