If you have been homeless or in a hostel and are just moving out, there are so many things you will need to set up home. Many charities can help with fridges, freezers, furniture and so on but you will still need to build up all the other bits and pieces. Having a bed is great but you still need bedclothes; a cooker isn’t much good without pots and pans. The list just seems to go on and on but there is help out there. There are charities that provide starter packs to help. These include such items as:
The charity FreshStart can help in so many ways if you are in the Edinburgh area. They provide ten different starter packs as well as cookery courses and so much more. If you have just moved into a new tenancy and need a starter pack contact Gateway 0131 561 8903.
If you are in the first 8 weeks of your tenancy then the Hit Squad could help decorate up to two rooms (you need to get your support worker to contact them if you need this help). For cookery and gardening courses in Edinburgh or, if you are unemployed and want to try the Jump Start Course contact FreshStart:
Telephone: 0131 476 7741
Email: admin@freshstartweb.org.uk
Web: www.freshstartweb.org.uk/starter-packs
There are several more regional organisations which also give out starter packs:
Glasgow: www.starterpacks.org.uk/
Perth: www.cath-org.co.uk/starter-packs/
Dundee: www.starterpackdundee.org.uk/
Northern Ireland: www.chni.org.uk/starterpacks.html
Barnsley: www.barnsleystarterpacks.org.uk/
Bromley: www.bromleyparishchurch.org/starterpacks
Malton (near York): www.salvationarmy.org.uk/malton