Lightning Reach user stories
Making a real impact on real people

“Things have been tight since my hours got reduced. I’ve had no choice but to borrow from my family.”

"It’s hard asking for help, but sometimes you’ve got no choice. This support has given me a bit of breathing space." 

“We were trying to build a home from nothing. The house was empty, and so was my bank account.”

“It’s had such a positive impact. It was a massive weight off my shoulders knowing that something is actually there to help”​​​

"The support that you’ve never come across, matched against your profile, is incredible. I discovered new support that is definitely relevant to me and my circumstances."

"This award has eased the burden of upcoming bills and will help alleviate my other costs. The support made a significant difference in reducing my mental health worries."​

“What you do is amazing, it's fantastic. It wasn't just the financial difference it made to me, but the emotional support which made a big difference. It lifted my mood and made me more proactive.”

“Mentally I couldn't cope, I wasn’t in a good place. The help from PA Housing and this portal has been a godsend because I wouldn't have found any of this support.”​

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“It's a brilliant tool! It brings up support specific to your needs. Platforms like Lightning Reach restore belief and trust that there are people out there that genuinely want to help you.”

“The portal is amazing, there is so much information. Without the portal, I would have never had help like this. There was so much support on there no one had told me about, which is fantastic.”

“Lightning Reach was much smoother (than other applications) all things considered. It’s helped relieve stress in a tight financial situation."

“Within 2-3 days I was all done and dusted and got my payment. It was a miracle! I thought it would take a couple of months."

"I found it was really straightforward to fill out the form. My situation was difficult and this made it easy."

“It was such a relief. I’d been trying to manage everything on my own for so long.”

“A lot of people don’t understand how much help there is. I’ve been blown away by the amount of support I’ve had.”​

“Living on loans, struggling financially, and feeling isolated - I just wanted a better life for my daughter and me.”

 “Knowing there’s support out there for people like me means the world. I don’t like asking for help, but this came at the right time and made a real difference.”

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“To go from nowhere to getting support was incredible, I didn't even know this existed. It relieves so much stress, looking ahead at winter knowing that we will have some things to help."​​

“When we heard we got more support it felt like Christmas day. It was amazing to see my son happy. We were able to afford healthy food, which is crucial for his condition."

“My experience has been great, thank you for existing and creating such a tool. The best thing is that it brings all the help you can get in one place.”

“A lot of things can be daunting and people can be ashamed and overwhelmed looking for support but Lightning Reach makes it very effective at what it needs to do. It puts people at ease using it.”

“When you can't provide for your children it can be a very stressful and lonely situation...it has taken so much stress off, the place now feels like a home for me and my children.”

“It (the portal) is massively valuable, giving you options you don’t realise are out there, for people who think there is no way out this gives them hope.”

“It was easy to access and all the information was very clear to understand. I could see there was a lot of support to access to get help."

"Putting all support under one click of a button has taken all the stress away from applying for support.”

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"The Lightning Reach portal meant I was just clicks away from getting an answer and the money we needed to get through this difficult period”

“It made finding help so much easier. Without it, people wouldn’t know where to look.”

“The whole process was smooth, and the people who helped me were friendly and supportive.”

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“The support has been a lifesaver. It’s such a relief to know I can shop and keep my home warm without worry.”

“I am very satisfied, the word itself, ‘Lightning Reach’ really describes it, it gives light to us, especially to me.” 

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“My life has been really sad a lot of the time, and I’m not happy that often, but this came at the right time; it really, really made a difference.”​

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“It relieved a lot of pressure to be able to put food in the cupboards. Knowing somebody could support you which meant just as much as the financial support.”

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“Lightning Reach is really good for directing you to all the right places. The award meant we could have a warm meal and pack lunches for at least the next month!”​

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“It was surprisingly quick...it took away the worry of having to turn the heating off as the bills went sky high. I just think it's [the portal] a brilliant idea, really helpful, glad I found it!”

“For somebody not good with computers you really helped…that did a lot of good for me. I have learnt a lot...I managed to do the second one [application] on my own."

"It has helped me think clearer, and it’s been great to see what help is out there... It has really helped me in reducing my stress, both mentally and physically.”

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“It’s nice to know there is help available. It’s a good thing organisations like yourselves are trying to help in the time we are living in now.” ​

“I don't normally apply for things like this... It relieved my stress, the grant really helped to get me through that month.”

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"[Lightning Reach] is so much better.., it just speeds it up completely. It’s really really good, so quick.”