Working families among those turning to charity for emergency help

ALMOST four hundred families across Wales — more than 1,300 parents, children and young people — turned to Action for Children for crisis support over a 16-month period to 1 October, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to intensify in the run-up to Christmas.

New data from the charity shows that three in ten applications (31%) for emergency grants came from households where at least one parent is in work, while one in seven families (15%) seeking help were not claiming any means-tested benefits. Frontline support workers say that beyond these one-off grants many families “have nowhere else to turn”.

Across the UK, Action for Children is currently receiving around 300 applications a month for financial help. Three-quarters of frontline staff surveyed said the families they support are facing greater financial pressure than this time last year.

Action for Children, which runs hundreds of services across the UK, analysed data from its Family Fund — delivered in partnership with Nationwide — as part of its annual Secret Santa campaign. The fund provides crisis grants for essentials such as food, appliances, clothing and basic household items.

Between June 2024 and September 2025, nearly £85,000 was distributed to families in Wales alone.

What Welsh families needed most

The charity reports that four essential categories accounted for three-quarters of all crisis spending:

• Food (33%)
• Household appliances (16%)
• Home furnishings and repairs (15%)
• Clothing (12%)

Other key findings include:

• 47% of applications came from families receiving Universal Credit.
• 61% were from families with one or two children.
• 49% were from single-parent households.

Support workers described families unable to replace broken beds, parents going without showers to save electricity, and minimum-wage workers unable to afford carpets or basic furniture despite working full-time hours.

One worker said: “A 9-year-old was sleeping in a toddler bed because the family simply couldn’t afford a replacement. They were already falling behind on bills.”

Another reported helping a young single mother: “She had no carpets, barely any furniture, and a sofa she’d been given that was full of fleas. Her wages covered her bills but nothing more. She didn’t qualify for additional support.”

Mental health impact

The charity’s data shows the emotional toll is severe.

• 74% of Welsh applications recorded anxiety, stress or other mental health concerns linked to financial hardship.
• 29% noted that children’s mental health was directly affected by money worries at home.

One support worker said children were avoiding socialising: “They don’t ask to go out because they don’t want parents to feel bad when they can’t give them pocket money.”

Charity calls for urgent action

Laurie Ryall, Action for Children’s National Director in Wales, said: “Our Family Fund data lays bare the devastating impact financial hardship is having on vulnerable families — and that doesn’t stop because it’s Christmas. Staff are helping families every day who try their hardest yet still can’t afford to heat their homes or put food on the table. It is heartbreaking to see the toll on parents and children alike.”

She welcomed the UK Government’s child poverty strategy and the decision to scrap the two-child limit, which the charity has long campaigned for, but warned the change will not take effect until April 2026 and will not help all families currently struggling.

“The Welsh Government is also taking steps on child poverty, but families need help now. That’s why we’re asking the public to get behind our Secret Santa campaign so we can continue supporting the children who need us most.”

Case study

Sarah, a single mother from South Wales living with chronic fibromyalgia, relies on Universal Credit and frequently uses food banks. She said Christmas is “an extremely stressful time”.

Her nine-year-old daughter attends Action for Children’s Emoji Project, which helps children understand and express difficult emotions. Last Christmas, the charity provided Sarah with a £250 food voucher and a new bed and mattress for her daughter.

Sarah said the support was transformative: “Every month is a struggle. We were on a pay-as-you-go electricity metre and I often let my daughter shower while I went without. My daughter’s old bed had broken and she was sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I sleep on the sofa, so I couldn’t help her. The shame and worry were enormous.”

“The food voucher took such a weight off my mind. It freed up money for heating. But Christmas still brings panic because I want her to have a magical day without knowing how anxious I am.”

PAUL SARTORI Hospice at Home is celebrating more than £3,000 of funding from the Co-op Local Community Fund and has announced it has once again been selected as a beneficiary for the 2025/2026 funding round.

The Haverfordwest-based hospice at home charity is now appealing to Co-op members across Pembrokeshire to choose Paul Sartori as their nominated cause, helping to secure crucial support until October 2026.

Co-op members can decide how the Local Community Fund is distributed simply by selecting a preferred local cause via the Co-op Membership App.

“We welcome this opportunity once again to appeal to Co-op members to choose us as their local Co-op cause, especially as funds for charitable organisations are becoming more difficult to access, with greater competition,” said Judith Williams, Grant Development Officer. “This is an opportunity for us to engage and encourage our community – and it doesn’t cost Co-op members a penny. Engaging with our local Membership Activator, Anwen, has really helped us to do this.”

The charity has received £3,044 in the 2024/2025 funding year. “This, along with the Co-op’s ongoing support, will help us make a difference and continue supporting end-of-life patients and their families in Pembrokeshire by providing the resources and equipment they need to live independently at home,” Judith added.

Since its launch in 2016, the Co-op Local Community Fund has supported nearly 40,000 community projects across the UK, with a focus on enabling communities to thrive by improving access to food, boosting mental wellbeing, creating opportunities for young people, strengthening community cohesion and supporting sustainable futures.

David Luckin, Head of Social Value and Community Engagement at Co-op, said: “We are delighted to hear the difference that our funding for Paul Sartori Hospice at Home is making in the community. As a co-operative, we are focused on creating value for our members and communities, and members have a say in where and how our funding is shared. We know that things are increasingly challenging for local causes, and our funding can make a real difference — helping people and communities thrive.”

The new round of support will help sustain the charity’s Equipment Loan Service, which provides essential items at short notice to help patients remain at home. The service complements statutory healthcare provision and often steps in where statutory services struggle to respond quickly, offering a compassionate, community-led model of care that promotes dignity and independence at the end of life.

All Paul Sartori services are free of charge and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year thanks to local generosity. The charity provides home nursing care, 24-hour support, standby services, complementary therapies, physiotherapy, bereavement and counselling support, future care planning and training. These services enable people with life-limiting illnesses to remain at home — pain free, supported and surrounded by loved ones, where that is their wish.

Further information about Paul Sartori Hospice at Home is available at www.paulsartori.org or by calling 01437 763223.

Pic: Anwen Evans, Co-op West Wales Membership Activator (left), with Judith Williams, Grant Development Officer at Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

Pembrokeshire’s only NCI lookout seeks more recruits to move to seven-day operation

HIGH above the coastline at Martin’s Haven, on the edge of the National Trust’s Deer Park, stands NCI Wooltack Point – the county’s sole National Coastwatch Institution station. Many visitors mistake it for a birdwatching shelter, but the team of trained volunteers inside plays a far more critical role.

From this exposed position they have a clear view over Jack Sound, the narrow and notoriously fast-flowing stretch of water between the mainland and Skomer Island. Tidal races here can reach 4–5 knots, drawing in kayakers, pleasure craft, walkers and wildlife spotters and creating conditions that change in moments.

The station is currently open five days a week, from Friday to Tuesday. The ambition is to extend cover to seven days, but that depends entirely on recruitment. With a small local population and the challenges of such a remote site, finding enough volunteers has never been easy.

Wooltack Point’s responsibilities differ from many other NCI stations, which are often based above busy beaches. Here, watchkeepers concentrate on offshore activity, using telescopes and binoculars to track boat movements, monitor the tide races and log anything out of the ordinary. They also keep a careful watch on the cliff paths, which attract large numbers of walkers and photographers. Visitors edging too close to the drop for a better view of seals, or dogs chasing seabirds towards the cliff edge, are among the recurring risks the team monitors.

The station operates to HM Coastguard standards, passing on information and assisting during live incidents. Volunteers also work alongside search and rescue teams and, where needed, the Border Force, providing what local managers describe as “an extra pair of eyes on a difficult stretch of coast”.

Running the facility is not cheap. With no government funding, the station must raise between £6,000 and £7,000 every year simply to keep the doors open. That covers communications, maintenance and essential equipment. Donations from local businesses, collection boxes and community fundraising efforts are what sustain the operation.

Access to facilities was once a barrier to recruitment, but the recent installation of a toilet has made longer shifts more manageable and has already encouraged new sign-ups.

No previous maritime experience is required. New volunteers receive full training at their own pace, beginning with an online course covering navigation basics, tides and chartwork, before progressing to supervised sessions at the station. Practical skills include logging procedures, emergency response and risk assessment. A fully funded VHF Radio Operator’s Licence is also available. Volunteers stress that no one is left to stand a watch alone until they feel completely ready.

The station holds optional training twice a month as well as informal social meet-ups, helping build confidence and maintain skills.

Phil, the deputy station manager, joined four years ago after retiring. “I always wanted to help on the lifeboats but never had the time,” he said. “This is my way of giving something back – and maybe being there on the day someone really needs us.” While there is always routine work to do, he adds: “A quiet lookout is a good day. It means everyone’s safe.”

NCI Wooltack Point is inviting anyone with spare time – whether weekly or occasionally – to get involved. More volunteers mean more hours covered, and a safer coastline for everyone who visits this dramatic corner of Pembrokeshire.

Those interested can contact the station through its website or Facebook page.