If you grew up poor, what minor/low level thing would have helped you?

[flowersintheatticus]

Obviously the solution is money, which isn't really an option. I'm involved in a very small scale community 'levelling up' project to help dc who are in the lowest socio-economic bracket. What practical/human resource might have helped you? The families already have access to food bank/heating vouchers, so it's more aimed at the children and their development, education and wellbeing. Any suggestions welcome.

I’ve lost the post now but I agree with a PP - I run a food bank and the eco / waste angle can be useful in tackling stigma.

I used to work in a uni and I remember speaking to a medical student. He was from an immigrant family, I think non-English speaking in the home, and was the first to go to university. He'd not gone to an "academic" school and had done really, really well to gain a place to study medicine.

However he nearly fell before he ever got his uni offer because there was some work placement that he had to do before applying (you won't get into medicine without showing some sort of work experience). Of course his family didn't have any doctor friends to help out. And there was a fee of £75 for the work placement onto which he was accepted. And he almost had to refuse because they couldn't afford £75.

The school came up trumps with some sort of bursary or something, and the rest was history. But £75!! That seems such a small sum of money to basically turn someone's life around - and in his culture, he will support his family with his earnings as a doctor; and be able to bring up his own children out of poverty. So £75 to create a massive positive ripple effect as well as allowing him to achieve his dream.

And yet £75 - unachievable for some people. Sometimes just little one-off things can make such a massive difference.