J, a single mum of four children under the age of twelve, is self-employed and on no recourse to public funds. She is a mobile hairdresser and her income has been quite low lately, which means that after paying her bills and food, she can barely afford anything. J's sofa is broken and her landlord cannot replace it. She needs support to purchase a new sofa, as the kids now sit on a wooden floor which is cold. This is making mum so worried as the weather is cold. J has also requested support with storage cabinets.

G, who is sixty one years of age and lives alone, has approached us for help at our local drop-in centre. It took him a few cups of tea to build up the courage to tell me his situation. He has been suffering with arthritis in his knees, hips and hands, and is unable to work so has to rely on benefits. G has not had a working cooker for over a year and he feels so depressed that he has not had hot food for such a long time, as he has no other way of cooking. Please could you help G with the gift of a cooker?

J is a single dad on very low income and struggling financially. His eleven year old daughter has moderate learning difficulties and is mad about football. The school she is about to start at have special football sessions, but this comes at a cost and dad just cannot find the funds to pay for this. His daughter would benefit physically and emotionally from being in a team, and improve her confidence. Please can you help?