Media

Whether owned or rented, providing a stable home for your children is one of the key responsibilities of being a parent.

An unexpected, life-changing event can be the difference between a secure roof over your family’s head and the prospect of homelessness.

Worryingly, there are around 130,000 children in the UK who are homeless, and many more are at risk.

Our grants team is on hand to support freemasons and their families who are facing homelessness, whatever life may have thrown at them.

Trudy is mum to Jake, aged 17, and Kylie, aged 15. 

“After my children’s father, Clive, passed away, everything started to get on top of me financially. Dealing with his death as well as the sudden drop in income – it seemed like everything was happening all at once. I couldn’t keep up, and soon we were facing eviction. I just didn’t know which way to turn or which bills to pay first.

“One of Clive’s masonic friends knew that we were going through a difficult time and he suggested that the MCF might be able to help.

“Since we were facing eviction, the MCF offered a one-off payment which covered our arrears and meant that we could stay together in our home. They also give us grants to help with our everyday living costs which has made a huge difference. The extra support means that I can keep on top of the bills and I’m not constantly trying to catch up.

“The MCF has provided a feeling of stability that we hadn’t had for a long time. It’s been a really hard few years for my children, but I feel like the support has helped me to be a better mum to them.”

Puneeta is Trudy’s MCF grants officer. She worked to keep Trudy and her children in their home and helped to provide them with a more secure future.

“Whilst gathering all the necessary information, I realised that she was in rental arrears and had just received an eviction notice. It was quickly agreed that an immediate payment would be made to clear the arrears and avert an eviction.

“The most important thing was to retain a safe and stable home for Trudy and her children, and once we had done that we could look at other ways to support the family.

“We now provide Trudy with regular payments to help with their everyday living costs. This has eased the financial pressure during an already stressful time and is ensuring that they are not at risk of homelessness in the future.”