Emma's story

Through the Lightning Reach portal Darren received support from:

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Through the Lightning Reach portal Nidhi received support from:

Through the Lightning Reach portal Nidhi received support from:

Emma was referred to the Lightning Reach portal by:

“I can feed the kids and I'm not worrying about what I'm going to do about money.”

Sunderland, England

We spoke with Emma, a former nursery teacher and single mother of two from Sunderland, who was given only three days’ notice before losing her job. Her redundancy left her struggling with rent arrears, energy bill debt, petrol, and groceries for her family.

“It was devastating. They basically said, ‘We don’t need you from Monday,’ and I thought, what am I going to do now?

Connecting with Lightning Reach: A lifeline of practical support

Emma came across Lightning Reach after seeing a Facebook post shared by Sunderland City Council. Not sure what to expect, she signed up, completed her profile, and applied to support from a national charity.

While her application was under review, they reached out and provided a £50 supermarket voucher to help with her family's immediate needs.

Within two weeks, the charity came back to Emma and awarded her a grant of £1,500. This included £550 to clear her rent arrears, £300 to pay off her energy debt, and £650 in supermarket vouchers to support her family while she found employment.

“Wow, I was not expecting anything like that. It was such an amazing surprise.”

A brighter outlook

The support Emma received transformed her immediate situation. It cleared debts, helped her to stock her family’s fridge, and meant she could buy much needed school clothes for her children. With that pressure eased, Emma has been able to shift her focus from daily crisis management to finding work and planning ahead.

“It's lovely not having to worry about every penny and being able to have a full fridge - there isn't anything better when you've got kids. It has given me breathing space.”

What began as a small online interaction, a Facebook post shared by Sunderland City Council, ultimately made a huge difference in helping Emma take her first steps toward financial stability.

Get support today

Could you or someone you know benefit from financial support? Create your account today at www.lightningreach.org/application-portal to see what you're eligible for.