WPI 2019 End of Year Update

2019 is coming to a close. Best wishes for the holidays and the coming year from all of us at WPI. Please stay safe over the summer break.

At the end of 2019 we are proud to provide homes for over 230 women and children and to manage social and affordable properties that accommodate a further 120 people. We are delighted to be growing and in 2020 will be adding 20 new homes to the 84 we currently own, and a minimum of 9 more will be delivered in 2021. We are thrilled to be able to offer these high-quality, secure and affordable homes to a sizeable number of women and remove them from housing crisis.  

Earlier this year a group of our tenants assisted us with our Listen 4 Good Project, an initiative of Fund for Shared Insight and supported by Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation. This was a feedback loop for which the first step was surveying our tenants and conducting focus groups to get perspectives about the service we provide and how it can be improved. We later reported back to tenants about the changes made based on the findings and their perspectives. It was a very valuable process where we gathered a lot of constructive feedback. The commitment, co-operation and genuine gratitude shown by this group of women (some of whom are pictured above) was inspiring! It is testament to the fact that safe and secure homes really do change lives. 

WPI's objectives can only be realised because of strong partnerships, generous philanthropic funding and pro bono support and financial contributions from a wide range of organisations and individuals. Thank you to all of you - you are creating new beginnings for women and children. 

At the end of this busy year, here are some updates on some key projects and initiatives!

Create new beginnings for women and children with a festive season donation!

When Marie, her 6 month old son, Josh, and 14 year old daughter, Holly, escaped her extremely violent ex-partner, they went into hiding. They were terrified that he would them, as he had threatened her life on many occasions. The police had given her a phone number to call so she could raise the alarm and get help quickly. He fought Marie for access to their son Josh, who was just a baby. Throughout the court process she was moving from place to place, trying to keep her location a secret and care for her traumatized children. Marie desperately needed a safe place to start again and rebuild her life.

After 2 years of running, Marie found refuge in a WPI home. She has lived there for 8 years and it is a safe haven she can rely on. It was eventually determined that it was simply too dangerous for her ex-partner to have any contact with Marie or the children, but to this day she has remain hidden. Although she carries the physical and emotional scars of that relationship, she has built a new life for herself and Josh and Holly. Josh has autism and she has found him a supportive and inclusive school.

Marie studied to be a classroom integration aid and works at Josh’s school, helping him and lots of other kids. She has created a stable and loving home and he is thriving.  In a secure home, Holly was able to complete her education and move on from the trauma. She now manages a call centre.

This is the difference a stable home makes. It provided this family with a new beginning and they grabbed it with both hands. “My home is my safe place, my sanctuary. Because it is secure, we’ve been able to heal and try to be normal. It has been critical in creating a routine for Josh. He is doing well at school. I love being part of that and giving back by helping other kids like him. When you’ve been through what we have, you never take a safe home for granted. We are the lucky ones,” said Marie.

We provide homes for more than 230 women and children. They have been able to enjoy many happy celebrations in the homes they love. This festive season, make a tax deductible donation to create new beginnings for women like Marie; women who deserve the safe and permanent homes that lots of us take for granted.