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Improving Families' Day-to-Day Experiences
Our first point of contact with most families is through our frontline services which are designed to make growing up - and parenting - in the hostel a little easier. By improving their experiences while homeless, we aim to minimise the hardship families face and the long-term disadvantage it can entrench.
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Kids Club
Children living in temporary accommodation are growing up in overcrowded, stressful environments with little space to play, socialise or be children. This has a profound impact on their wellbeing and development.
Our twice-weekly Kids Club provides a safe, welcoming space where children can play, make friends and build trusted relationships with consistent adults. Delivered in our flagship Camden hostel during term time, the Club offers dedicated playrooms, arts and crafts, gardening, outdoor sports and healthy after-school snacks — a child-centred antidote to the institutional nature of hostel life.
The Club restores a sense of normality for children who are living through acute instability. It is a place to celebrate birthdays, mark cultural festivals and invite school friends — experiences that are impossible in one-room hostel accommodation.
Parents and carers are welcome to attend alongside their children. The Club creates space for parents to connect with one another and to play with their children away from the pressures of hostel living. It is also often the first point of contact families have with our charity, enabling us to build trusting relationships that lead into longer-term family support and housing advocacy.
“I don’t think I would have coped half as well without Kids Club. It makes the kids forget they are living in one room — it’s the only good part of being in the hostel.”
— Anna, parent
School Holiday Enrichment Trips
For families living in temporary accommodation, school holidays can be long, isolating and exhausting. With no space at home and little money for activities, children miss out on rest, stimulation and enriching experiences — widening existing inequalities.
Our School Holiday Programme provides free, carefully planned trips and activities that give families respite from the hostel and children the chance to explore, learn and have fun. Open to families across our Camden and Hackney hostels, we offer a free family day trip every half term and end-of-term break, alongside a three-week summer programme.
Trips range from city farms, museums and nature reserves to theatre visits, sports centres, boat trips and seaside days. Alongside joy and discovery, parents gain ideas for low- and no-cost activities they can replicate in London during times of financial hardship.The programme delivers immediate relief for families while supporting children’s wellbeing, confidence and readiness to return to school.
“Living in temporary accommodation we really need [this support]. To have trips physically, emotionally, it takes out the stress and the kids they feel their half term makes them happy.” — Safiyah, parent
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Essentials Bank
Families living in temporary accommodation face a significant poverty premium. Limited cooking, storage and laundry facilities push up everyday costs, while high service charges further strain household budgets.
Our Essentials Bank provides families with free access to vital household and hygiene products, including toiletries, sanitary items, nappies, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. The Bank rotates between our Camden and Hackney hostels, ensuring regular access for families most in need.
By meeting these basic needs, we help families stabilise their finances and reduce daily stress — creating the conditions for families to engage more effectively with wider support and housing casework.
“[Essentials Bank] made a positive impact on mental health in that I was always able to rely on it when I was running low on essential items especially when I had no money left from paying other debts.” — Maria, parent