Vote for Boomerang Cardiff and Help Tackle Poverty and Homelessness

Boomerang Cardiff are a Welsh charity who support people who are struggling with homelessness and poverty in and around Cardiff. Starting out as a charity focussed on helping those living on the streets, they have now expanded to offer several opportunities for people facing difficulty. No matter whether they are living on the streets and in need of a home, come from a disadvantaged background or are suffering from social isolation. 

What Do Boomerang Cardiff Do? 

They work with people in four main areas: 

• Preventing and supporting people facing homelessness 
• Helping people living in poverty and in poor living conditions
• Encouraging community activities, education and engagement 
• Supporting those living in social isolation or suffering with loneliness

Their overall aim is to help those in need, whether they are families facing hard times or individuals who have had lifelong struggles. The issues that people face are rarely one dimensional, with poverty and homelessness affecting many aspects of life including family relationships, social relationships, physical and mental health. This is why they help people in several ways, offering practical support as well as engaging people with community groups and educational opportunities to decrease loneliness, support their mental health, increase opportunities and improve their quality of life. 

What Is Homelessness to Home?

Their ‘Homeless to Home’ project was created in collaboration with the Housing Operations Centre at Cardiff Council, and was piloted in 2018-19. This project involves creating essential home starter kits for individuals and families who are transitioning from homelessness into an empty property. Of course, it can be incredibly costly to get everything you need for a new home, especially when items such as furniture are not included and the person has previously been homeless. Therefore, this project ensures that people can live with the furniture and basic items they need when they move into their accommodation. 

This vital project not only allows people to be able to look after themselves practically (making food, washing clothing etc.) but also has a great impact on their mental health. Living in a home with a bed, washing machine and TV feels far more like a home than an empty space with four walls and ceiling. Since the creation of the project, Boomerang Cardiff continues to offer starter packs to people coming out of homelessness, and they have so far provided 511 furniture packs!

Some of the furniture supplied in these packs are:

• A bed and bedding for each room
• A sofa
• Kitchen starter pack with plates, cups, glasses and utensils
• Cooker
• Washing machine 
• TV and TV unit
• Wardrobe / Chest of drawers for each room
• Fridge freezer
• Microwave
• Coffee Table

What Other Support does Boomerang Cardiff Offer?

Support for Critical Living Conditions 

Their furniture packs are a lifesaver for many people transitioning from homelessness into accommodation, helping them start their new life. But they don’t only help those who are coming out of homelessness, as they also have electrical appliances, white goods, clothing and other essentials for people who are not in the financial position to buy these items. They also have sales for affordable furniture which are a great alternative to buying from a store and help low income families and individuals to find furniture for their home. 

Social Isolation and Loneliness

Isolation and loneliness can be a huge issue for many people, particularly those who are facing poverty and homelessness. Many people in these situations are separated from family, come from disadvantaged backgrounds, are trying to start a new life and/or have mental health or physical issues which can lead to feelings of isolation. Boomerang Cardiff offers support by inviting people out to coffee mornings, local community groups, activities, days out and volunteering opportunities. 

Community Engagement and Education

Boomerang Cardiff also works with local schools and community groups, with the aim of educating children about poverty and financial hardship as well as supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This helps children to understand the strain of poverty that many families and individuals face, as well as helping children from poorer backgrounds to access opportunities that they otherwise might not have been able to. For example, they run free activities for children over the school holidays as well as engaging in initiatives such as free school meals and arts and crafts sessions. 

Period Poverty

The crisis of period poverty is now a widely known phenomenon, and refers to the global issue of people being unable to afford basic sanitary items. The period poverty project helps people who are living in poverty to access essential sanitary products. Since its launch, they have helped over 5,550 people to get sanitary products, and this scheme is now present in 32 schools and 6 community centres. They have also sent over 2750 hygiene starter packs to people who have recently found accommodation, to get them started in their new home. 

How Can I Support Boomerang Cardiff? 

The easiest way to support Boomerang Cardiff right now is by going to the charity poll on the right hand side of this page and clicking on the little circle next to their name. That is all it takes to vote for them in our charity poll this month and you can help them win 20% of our profits for the month! 

You can also send in a Donation, get involved in a Fundraising event or Volunteer and become part of the team. If you have any furniture items that you no longer want or need, you can also request a collection from them and they will give it to someone in need (provided it is in acceptable condition). 

How Can I Contact Boomerang Cardiff? 

If you want to know more about the work that they do, you can always visit the Boomerang Cardiff website. To get in touch with the team, you can send them a message via their contact form, send them an email at info@boomerangcardiff.org.uk or give them a call on 02920 497724. They are also active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.