Arjan's story
Arjan’s family were fearful they would not have enough money to get them through the winter. Thankfully, Action for Children stepped in to provide them with the essentials they needed
Arjan, with sister Harmehar and mum Ram
Arjan lives with his mum, dad and twin sister Harmehar.
When Arjan was born, his family lived in London and his mum was an NHS key worker.
However, after having the twins, Arjan’s mum Ram struggled to juggle her job while also looking after them. Childcare was unaffordable, so she had little choice but to give up her job to look after them.
She says, “With my partner working full-time, not knowing anyone to look after them, and being unable to afford nursery, I knew I had to leave.”
Relying on one salary, money began to get tight, and the family’s finances were being stretched. Living in London became too expensive, so Ram and her partner made the difficult decision to move to West Bromwich.
The family moved in the hopes of a new life. They hoped it would help them save money. But it also meant packing up the lives they knew and moving away from family and friends.
“It was a huge change for us. We were leaving behind so much, but we just couldn’t afford London any more.”
As the pandemic hit, the family's financial situation became increasingly volatile.
“My partner’s work had been really unpredictable since coronavirus as he’s on a zero-hour contract,” Ram told us. “It makes it even tougher to know [in advance] how much money we’re going to make on a weekly basis."
It got to a point where the money they had barely covered their weekly needs. And by the time winter hit, Ram was scared that they’d have no money left to heat their home and buy food.
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"When Action for Children offered support, I couldn’t believe it. To know someone is there to look out for us is truly amazing.”
Living week to week, Ram and her partner didn’t know whether they could afford the things their family needed. Fortunately, we were able to provided them with the everyday essentials they were desperate for, including food, nappies and clothing.
“It was such a sigh of a relief...,” says Ram. “Winter meant we were spending more on bills, so having Action for Children provide the essentials really goes a long way in allowing us to cover those extra costs."
Not all families can afford baby essentials.
The family were first introduced to Action for Children where Arjan and his sister attended one of our Stay ‘n’ Play groups. This was at their local library before the pandemic, but they continued to attend as it moved virtually during the pandemic.
The support Ram received from Action for Children has inspired her to begin volunteering at our virtual Stay ‘n’ Play sessions during her spare time.
She also hopes to meet other families who have been through similar difficulties that she has.
“Action for Children have offered us so much support and always do their best to help. They truly want to help look after families. Every child should be happy and healthy, and that's what they are doing with their work.”
Arjan's mum, Ram
Families all over the UK are struggling to afford the basics, like food and clothes.
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