“When you’re in a manager role, people think you’re earning lots, and they expect you to be able to afford this stuff on your own. ”

When Theo and Tyler’s bed was damaged, Emma drew on the support of an FTCT grant after hearing about us though her work at Clean Linen Services. Here, Emma speaks about her experience and shares a special reveal video featuring Theo and Tyler.

Interested in applying. Find out more here. 

Why we applied

“When I applied to the FTCT there was a lot going on. I’d recently split from my ex-partner and our house had been flooded by the drains outside. In the process of painting the boys room, the contractors broke their bed.”

“We couldn’t prove the damage was caused by them so I didn’t get any compensation. That meant the kids had a broken bed and I had no way of replacing it. It got so bad the boys had started to complain about not sleeping, so I looked at what my options were.”

“I’d heard about FTCT through my work as a manager on the extended HR team at Clean Linen Service. I realised I was promoting it to other colleagues and being an advocate for the charity, but not trying it myself.  I thought, what have I got to lose and put my application in.”

“When you’re in a manager role, people think you’re earning lots, and they expect you to be able to afford this stuff on your own. So at first I felt guilty about applying. But I thought to myself, ‘everything I do is for those boys. It’s not about my pride. The kids don’t care about pride, they just want somewhere to sleep.”

“At I first I just applied for beds and bedding. I didn’t ask for anything else, but then got a reply from the FTCT team asking if the boys needed school uniform. I said ‘Yes Please!’. It was an even bigger weight off my shoulders.”

“Applying to the FTCT was so easy. The email comms and form were so quick and straight forward. Everyone I spoke to was really helpful, making me feel comfortable. The part of the application I probably struggled with most was the financial bit. But seeing everything written down, made it a lot easier.”

The Big Reveal

“When the grant money came though we bought the beds and my Dad helped me to assemble them. Then we filmed them seeing it for the first time and I think their reaction says it all! When my kids said ‘thank you Mummy’, it made it all so worth it.”

Moving Forward

“My 10 year old loves his bed, we can’t get him out of it. He can shut the blinds when he is on his phone or playing Xbox with his friends. It also gives them something to focus on. After going through such a difficult period with the separation, to have their own space to retreat to, has really helped them.”

“I genuinely couldn’t thank the FTCT enough and what it meant to my family. I didn’t have to think about getting a loan or adding to my debt.  The charity was like a light that came on during a really difficult period.”

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Interested in applying?

If you think an FTCT grant could help your family, please visit our Get Help section to find out more. You can find out more about our criteria and make an enquiry. 

How To Apply