Supporting nurses, transforming lives

Cavell Nurses’ Trust transforms the lives of nursing and midwifery professionals. Those helped by the charity say they’re often happier, healthier and able to stay in or return to work

Cavell Nurses’ Trust is the charity supporting UK nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, both working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship or crisis, often due to illness, disability, older age, domestic abuse and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From simple, essential support like money to repair a broken cooker or boiler, to vital life-changing aid such as helping a family flee their home due to domestic abuse, the charity is here to help.

For those seeking help, the charity offers a tailored package of support, including:

• Emotional support for those in crisis
• Advice on maximising benefits
• Signposting to specialist services
• One-off grants to quickly relieve financial hardship
• Rapid emergency funding for those at great risk

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19

In the first 12 months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the charity has seen a 140% increase in the number of people requiring support. The charity team had to act quickly and streamline its application process, enabling it to get help directly to more people, but without compromising its service.

More than a year on and the levels of applications remain high. The first 3 months of 2021 showed that 68% of those helped needed support with basic living costs such as food, travel, essential items and household bills. Around 8% of people required help with rent and housing costs, with 7% struggling to find cash to replace a broken washing machine or cooker or essential furniture like a bed.

Among those supported in the first 3 months of 2021:

• 51% got in touch because of a physical or mental health problem, of whom 6 out of 10 had been impacted by COVID-19.
• 45% sought help because of their family or social situation. Half of these people were impacted by their caring responsibilities and 30% by domestic abuse.
• 32% just didn’t have any money. Almost half of these were in a financial crisis, 14% working age poverty, 5% homeless, 4% suffering pension age poverty with the remainder impacted by debt.

The above exceeds 100% because multiple causes can be recorded for each person helped by the charity.

THE PEOPLE CAVELL HELP

Abigail’s story

‘The support from Cavell Nurses’ Trust has really helped the whole family.’

A heart problem in February 2020, the pandemic starting soon after and delays in treatment all added up to Abigail and her family struggling to get by.

In February 2020 Abigail started feeling unwell at work. She was found to have a very low heart rate, and was immediately signed off work.

Because of the pandemic, Abigail faced delays in getting tests and treatment. During the months off work, and with her sick pay reduced, she and the family struggled to buy food.

‘Those months were very, very difficult,’ remembers Abigail.

Abigail contacted Cavell Nurses’ Trust and we provided a rapid grant, which enabled her to buy food for her children and pay bills that were in arrears.

‘The support from Cavell Nurses’ Trust has really helped the whole family. It relieved a lot of stress for me, I was able to not worry about buying food for the children,’ Abigail said.

Abigail has been able to return to work, but part time as she is still managing her heart condition.

Sarah’s story

‘I was really taken aback as I wasn’t expecting anything. It was absolutely incredible!’

During the pandemic restrictions in 2020, Sarah’s husband was forced to close his business due to lack of sales and become a full-time carer for their 7 year-old son, who is autistic, and their 19 month-old twins. The family were relying on Sarah’s nursing salary to get by and though money was tight, they were just about managing until October.

‘Then the car broke down!’ explains Sarah, ‘And the mechanics quoted us £1,200 to get it fixed. We just couldn’t afford to pay it.’

The family car was their lifeline during the 2020 lockdowns. With twin toddlers and their autistic son all requiring car seats, it was able to accommodate the whole family when they escaped the house.

‘Where were we going to find £1,200 just like that?’ says Sarah ‘We thought about what we could sell and I thought about working lots of extra shifts to raise the money, but I worried about how that would affect my health.’

Sarah was put in contact with Cavell Nurses’ Trust and we were quickly able to fund the car repairs for the family. Sarah remembers the call from the charity confirming the grant:

‘I was in tears!’ she says ‘I was really taken aback as I wasn’t expecting anything. To know there is a charity out there, with people supporting it, is incredible!’

Mariethel’s story

‘Getting this support has helped me 100%, I feel much more positive now.’

Mariethel qualified in 1993 and worked in NHS nursing roles in general nursing, research and maternity before becoming an agency nurse.

After the pandemic hit, nursing shifts became unavailable as hospitals cancelled routine procedures and limited the number of nursing staff on their wards, and Mariethel wasn’t needed.

Mariethel’s husband is also a nurse and works for a different agency but his shifts also suddenly stopped.

Mariethel’s husband qualified for furlough money from his agency but it was a small amount. Mariethel’s agency told her she couldn’t get furlough money but told her to contact Cavell Nurses’ Trust.

‘We had no money coming in at all,’ remembers Mariethel.

Cavell Nurses’ Trust was able to quickly get money to Mariethel enabling her family to pay bills and buy food.

Mariethel was out of work for five and a half months but she and her husband are now picking up nursing shifts again.

‘We all need to support each other,’ she says ‘especially other nurses and healthcare professionals. If you can fundraise or donate that would be amazing. The impact on our lives has been huge.’

A LONG HISTORY

The charity is named in honour of nurse Edith Cavell who was executed in 1915 during the first World War while working in Brussels caring for soldiers on both side of the conflict. She helped to smuggle 200 Allied soldiers to freedom from occupied Belgium but was discovered by the Germans and paid the ultimate price for her bravery.

A fund was set up after her death to care for nurses returning from the conflict and this legacy lives on today, more than 100 years later, in the work of Cavell Nurses’ Trust.

Serendipitously, a descendant of one of the soldiers saved by Edith Cavell, himself a registered nurse, now works for Cavell Nurses’ Trust.

HERE FOR NURSES, MIDWIVES AND HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS

Cavell Nurses’ Trust receives no government funding and relies completely on the generosity of individual donors and fundraisers and also organisations who support their work. The grants given are designed to help people get back on their feet and more than 80% of those receiving financial help say they were able to return to, or stay in, work.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the support available or to get involved with supporting the charity’s work should get in touch by visiting https://www.cavellnursestrust.org or calling 01527 595 999.