Impact of your donations

The people you helped 

The Turn2us Care Programme started in 2022 in Greater Manchester. It helps people giving and receiving care in the area to become more financially secure.

Last year, Support and Action Women’s Network (SAWN) and Turn2us collaborated to deliver 13 one‑off cash grants, averaging £1,500 each. 

These grants went to people with refugee or No‑Recourse‑to‑Public‑Funds (NRPF) status who either receive care or provide unpaid care.

Those who received the grant were asked how it helped them, what could be improved and what receiving support felt like. Their answers were powerful. They told us that:

• Receiving a grant gave them space to think, feel safe, and breathe
• The flexibility of cash meant they could choose what they most needed
• The experience felt human and importantly, non-judgemental

You can read what some of the grantees said here:

“Trying to keep to my required kidney diet with no cooking facilities... Fresh foods and fruits are expensive, and there’s no fridge to keep them fresh. The wrong foods make me ill.” 

Your support helped this person access the food they need to stay well despite living in unsuitable temporary accommodation.

“I have to keep the house warm as I feel the cold but am struggling to afford to top up my meter with having no income at the moment.”

Your donation made it possible for them to stay warm during a difficult time, easing the stress of choosing between heating and other basic needs.

“Getting my daughter to school every day and collecting her is difficult as I am at hospital three days a week now. I need to pay transport for my friend to take and pick her up.”

Your gift helped this parent maintain vital routines for their child while undergoing intensive medical treatment.

“(The grant) helps me with care needs as I only get three pads a day, so I can buy more and be fresh and comfortable.”

You made sure someone could afford basic hygiene essentials that support their dignity and wellbeing.

What’s next

The Care Programme will run for 10 years and has core values of building long-term relationships and adding value to work the community wants. For too long national charities have offered short term, pre-defined resource to local organisations. 

Through our conversations with SAWN and the grantees, we have decided what we will do next; supporting previous grantees to run an effective lived experience led campaign challenging migrant care costs such as the NHS surcharge, and providing grants and information to more migrants with care costs to improve financial security.

Co-production work in Edinburgh

It’s vital that people facing financial insecurity play a central role in designing, delivering, and evolving our services. Our co-production work is a central part of how we design, deliver and evolve our services. This year our co-production work in Edinburgh has shown just how powerful that can be.

What is co-production?

Co-production means working in equal partnership with people who have lived experience of financial hardship - our co-production partners - to shape the decisions that impact their lives. It’s not a one-off consultation or a feedback form. It’s about building long-term, equitable relationships and sharing power at every stage of the journey.

The work in action

In May 2024, we launched the Edinburgh co-production panel – a group of nine people, each bringing powerful insight from their own lived experience. The panel meets monthly and takes part in wider activities across Turn2us, from public speaking to recruitment panels.

Together, we’ve:

• Designed a new model to encourage involvement on a long-term basis
• Shared decision-making power in funding, including through the Thriving Futures Fund, which provides direct grants to individuals facing financial hardship
• Created inclusive, trauma-informed spaces where people can grow confidence and community
• Brought lived experience into the heart of Turn2us strategic planning and board-level conversations

This isn’t just about participation – it’s about leadership.

Real impact

The results are already inspiring. Co-production partners have gained skills, stepped into leadership roles, and influenced how we design and deliver support. Two panel members have now joined the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust Committee. Others are using their learning to launch new initiatives in their neighbourhoods.

One partner, a single mother living with disabilities, hadn’t left the house socially in years due to anxiety. This year, she not only attended monthly sessions, but also spoke at our board away day and joined the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust Committee.

In 2024 alone, over 500 hours of co-production took place through this work. And it’s only the beginning.

What’s next?

We’re in year two of a three year programme, with the next stage including the launch of a £10,000 co-produced grant, expanding peer mentoring and strengthening community leadership. This isn’t about giving people a voice - it’s about recognising the voice and power they already have.

Meet Arvinda Gohil - your new Chair of Trustees

We’re delighted to welcome Arvinda Gohil OBE as the new Chair of Trustees at Turn2us. Arvinda brings a wealth of experience from across the voluntary and housing sectors, with a long-standing commitment to social justice, community-led change and inclusive leadership

She joins us at a pivotal time, as we continue to respond to the growing pressures facing people across the UK. We’re excited to work with Arvinda as we build on the strong foundations laid by our outgoing Chair, Carrie Stokes, and move forward with our mission to challenge financial insecurity together.

1. What first attracted you to Turn2us? 

The mission of Turn2us is important to me, having worked around poverty and exclusion all my working life both in an executive and non-executive capacity.

2. Which part of our work resonates with you the most, and why?

All of it. I like the connections between individual support, community and place-based strategies and the advocacy work.

3. What are you most looking forward to in your role as Chair?

To help Tom as CEO, and Trustees of the group, to be the best we can be and to support our mission.

4. Why do you think support for Turn2us’s mission is so important right now? 

People, families, and communities are facing unprecedented challenges given the fiscal constraints on government, its policy direction and the effects of world events on all of us. 

We are continuing to see the divide grow and charities have a fundamental duty to support those in need whilst shining a light on injustice.

5. How do you see the role of supporters and donors in helping us create change? 

Collaboration is the only way we can leverage impact and create change.

A better social security system is possible

Over the past few months, Turn2us has been making sure the voices of people most affected by poverty are being heard by those in power. We’ve been pushing back against harmful proposals and putting lived experience at the heart of national conversations on poverty.

Thanks to your support, our policy work is growing in reach and impact, shifting how politicians and the media talk about social security, and driving forward change rooted in dignity and fairness.

1. Green Paper: Disability benefit cuts

In March, the government published a consultation paper on reforms to health and disability benefits. A consultation seeks views from people who have a particular interest in the policy under consideration.

This included major cuts to PIP, Universal Credit and support for 18–22-year-olds. While some proposals are positive (like Jobcentre reform), the overall direction is deeply worrying.

We agree the system needs change - it’s stressful, confusing and often fails to support people. But slashing vital support risks worsening health, increasing hardship, and pushing people further from work, not closer.

2. Narrative Guides: Changing the conversation around social security

Our partners say that the current narrative and language around the social security system is

“Deliberately divisive…deliberately misleading.”

"Making people just a number in the system."

"So damaging on a personal level, but it is it is absolutely destructive on a societal level."

"Very harmful and very damaging as so many people are reluctant to seek help already."

They told us how it makes them feel

"You're constantly made to feel that you're a burden."

“It makes you feel worthless.”

“You're made to feel like you're trying to be greedy."

"Not a part of the society or the right part of society, the right group.”

Too often, the way politicians and the media talk about social security fuels shame, stigma and misunderstanding, making it harder for people to ask for help.

That’s why Turn2us has launched two new guides: one for journalists, and one for MPs and policymakers - developed with our co-production partners who have lived experience of the benefits system.

These resources aim to shift harmful language, rebuild trust, and put respect and accuracy at the heart of public conversations

Why it matters

Polling by YouGov for Turn2us found only 6% of people feel politicians use language that builds trust in the benefits system. Nearly half of those claiming support want to be spoken about more fairly and respectfully

What’s in the guides?

For journalists:

• 10 top tips for reporting on social security
• Clear definitions of misunderstood terms
• Examples of stigmatising language to avoid

For MPs and decision-makers:

• Insights from public polling and our lived experience partners
• Practical tips and alternative phrases for talking about social security
• Key values for our social security system

Together, these guides are a step toward more honest, empathetic conversations and a benefits system we can all believe in. 

The impact of the Turn2us Change Collective

The Change Collective is a network of visionary supporters committed to long-term change. By each pledging £5,000 a year for three years, they help power one of our most effective tools: the Turn2us Benefits Calculator.

Used over 2.5 million times last year, the Benefits Calculator helped unlock more than £1.7 billion in unclaimed benefits - vital support for people already entitled to it.

Supporters in the Change Collective actively bring in their professional and personal networks. Both their financial and networking contributions help us improve and expand this free, trusted tool - reaching more people in a time when 1 in 5 UK residents lives in poverty and over £22 billion in benefits goes unclaimed each year.

Thanks to their support, we’re not just keeping this tool running, we’re making it better. From upgrading accessibility, to increasing outreach, to embedding it with new partners, the Change Collective is helping us bring this vital tool to more people, more often.

Earlier this summer, we held our second annual Change Collective gathering. It was a chance for supporters to connect, learn about the impact of their giving, hear directly from people with lived experience of financial insecurity and to discuss and shape future plans.

Esther, one of our longstanding co-production partners, spoke movingly about her experience as a single parent caring for twins with complex needs and told us how the Turn2us Benefits Calculator helped her access over £17,000 in life-changing support

Love what the Change Collective helps make possible? Spread the word or join the Change Collective today.

Community news

A huge well done to all our amazing community fundraisers who’ve recently taken on challenges to support Turn2us! From runs like the London Marathon and Hackney Half to sky-high jumps, your energy and dedication help more people access the financial support they’re entitled to.

Here’s what some of our fantastic fundraisers had to say

What's coming up

Here are some key dates for your diary as we look ahead to an exciting and impactful season.

September 2025

Sunday 7 September – Great North Run

Find out more

8-14 September - Remember a Charity in your Will Week

This September, we’re joining charities across the UK to celebrate Remember a Charity Week - a moment to reflect on the impact we can leave behind. Leaving a gift in your will to Turn2us is a powerful way to support people experiencing financial insecurity for years to come.

This year, we’re asking you to imagine a future without worry - where more people can access the essentials they need and build lasting financial security. Whether you’re updating your will or writing one for the first time, by including a charity in your will, you can ensure that the causes you care about continue to thrive.

Find out more

Saturday 20 September - Swim Serpentine

Find out more

October 2025

6–12 October – Challenge Poverty Week Scotland

13–19 October – Challenge Poverty Week England & Wales

Both weeks are about raising our collective voice against poverty and sharing what needs to change for a fairer future. We’ll be inviting supporters to join us in taking action and campaigning for long-term change.

Find out how you can get involved

12 October – Royal Parks Half Marathon

All October – Free Wills Month

You can write a will for free any time of year through our online and in-person, free will writing services. Make October the month you tick ‘will writing’ off your to-do list.

Find out more

December 2025

2–9 December – The Big Give Christmas Challenge

This year, donations to our Christmas Appeal can be doubled thanks to the Big Give.

One donation, twice the impact. For your donations to be matched you must donate via the Big Give website during the week of the appeal. More details to follow.