Author: level User

One of our Link Workers, Theresa, has seen the difference a new coat makes to a child:

“A little boy came up to me recently while I was on lunch duty to show me his new reversible coat, which he got with a Level Trust coat gift card. He was so proud.

“We are supporting his family at the moment as there are a few issues at home, including a parental break-up and housing problems. This little boy has been struggling to separate from his parents when he is dropped off in the morning and needs a bit of one-to-one time with different members of staff. He often appears sad and is difficult to engage in his learning.

“Later that same day I caught him in the corridor showing his friend how the coat reverses. A few days later I saw him talking to another member of staff about his new coat too. It shows that Level Trust is making a huge difference to children’s lives.”

Majid’s parents work really hard to provide for him and his siblings. It’s still incredibly difficult to make ends meet, which makes Majid’s parents stressed and distracted.

We gave Majid his very own Learn@Home pack, full of exciting arts and crafts materials, a reading book and lots of stationery. It made a massive difference. Majid’s mum told us:

“Majid was excited to receive the pack as it was just for him. He just wants to try everything now all at once. It will help him to learn how to hold pens and pencils properly to gain more control. It will also inspire me to work with him. I get so busy with work and life that I forget to take a step back and do fun things with the kids to help them learn.”

April 2019

A team of 21 intrepid walkers have challenged themselves with the trek of a lifetime to raise money for Luton’s children.

On Saturday 6^thApril, the group trekked an incredible 34km (21 miles) along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset to raise money for Level Trust.

Over the course of 10 tough hours, the team walked the stunning South Coast Path from Swanage to Lulworth Cove. Scaling steep climbs – and just as steep descents – they climbed a total of 1,309m, just 36m less than the height of Ben Nevis.

Among the participants were the ‘Jurassic Coastbusters’ from Machins Solicitors LLP, a team from Metro Bank Luton and a fearless family celebrating a 50^thbirthday! Local clothing company Prestige Design kindly donated bespoke t-shirts so everyone could step out in style.

The group’s amazing efforts raised over £10,000. What an amazing achievement!

Destiny lives with her brother and mum but not her dad, because he’s in prison.

February 2019

On Friday (22^nd February), Gavin Shuker MP visited Level Trust, to hear how we tackle child poverty in our town.

1 in 3 children in Luton live in poverty. This means that they often have to go to school wearing shoes that don’t fit, with no winter coat, or with the wrong school uniform. Often they don’t have the things they need for homework and in the holidays they don’t get the chance to do fun and exciting things.

Christian Iszchak, Operations Director for Level Trust, said, “A child’s time in education has a lasting impact. Good or bad, it affects the rest of their life. Going without simple things like uniform or proper school shoes has a far-reaching impact on a child or young person. Itmeans they’re likely to be bullied, removed from lessons, or even truant. They feel self-conscious, embarrassed and worried about being told off, which damages their happiness, confidence and ability to concentrate in lessons.”

Mr Shuker was involved with the creation of Level Trust in 2013, when a group of local volunteers decided to do something to help the thousands of children affected by poverty in Luton. He has remained committed to helping to improve Luton children’s experience of education, giving them a level chance in school and beyond.

Watch this short video of Mr Shuker’s visit:

It’s #SmallCharityWeek and a great time to highlight the outstanding work of the @LevelTrust Uniform Exchange in Luton’s Mall. A fantastic charity doing excellent work to try and level the playing field for kids in our schools. pic.twitter.com/Igoh8z4koo

— Gavin Shuker MP (@gavinshuker) June 18, 2019

Thanks to recent grants from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Aviva Community Fund, Level Trust’s Uniform Exchange can help even more families. It is now open on Saturdays (10am-2pm) as well as Tuesdays (12-4pm), Wednesdays (9am-1pm), Thursdays (12-4pm) and Fridays (9am-1pm). The Uniform Exchange is open to any family – just bring school uniform you’ve finished with and swap it for items you need.

January 2019

Make amazing memories with the walk of a lifetime and raise money for local children who need your help. Start 2019 on the right foot by signing up for Level Trust’s Jurassic Coast Fundraising Trek.

Level Trust is a charity that helps the thousands of children living in poverty in Luton by giving them the crucial things they need for school, so they have a level chance of fulfilling their amazing potential.

The challenge will have you trekking 30km (18.6 miles) in 1 day along the South West Coast Path in Dorset to raise money for this excellent cause. Take part on your own or tackle it with a group of friends, family or colleagues.

Level Trust’s Maddy Iszchak said: “This is a great way to beat the winter blues. Taking on a challenge like this is really motivational – you get to achieve a personal goal while helping others. I’m taking part myself and it’s an inspirational way to start 2019. If you’re up for a challenge and care about your community, join us!”

The trek will take place on Saturday 6^th April, with an overnight stay the night before. Find out more and register online at www.charitychallenge.com/expedition/2888/Jurassic-Coast-Challenge-Level-Trust. Plus, there’s a 10% discount on registration until the end of January.

October 2018

Over the past 5 years, we have helped thousands of families overcome the costs of education, so children in Luton have the chance to love learning.

27% of children in our town live in poverty – that’s over 16,000 children. When money is tight at home, a child might not have the uniform and equipment they need for school. They’re unlikely to be able to do fun things in the school holidays and they’re more likely to suffer with mental health problems and low self-esteem. They can feel embarrassed about making friends because they feel ‘different’ and they can have little hope for the future.

Giving children the things they need for school makes them feel more included, more confident, and enables them to attend school more – which all adds up to a brighter future.

Since we launched 5 years ago, we have given children over 600 warm winter coats and more than 2,700 pairs of new school shoes, and provided 3,790 3-5 year olds and 555 GCSE students with crucial learning resources.

In June, over 80 family support professionals from across the town came together for the annual Child Poverty Conference. As well as hearing from experts in subjects as diverse as universal credit, gangs, and homelessness, they made the most of the chance to share their knowledge and experience with each other, to make Luton’s family support even stronger.

This year, this work has been made possible by funding from London Luton Airport Limited via the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation and from People’s Postcode Trust. People’s Postcode Trust is a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. On top of this, the project received support from Vauxhall Motors, Mrs B L Robinson’s Charitable Trust, Gale Family Charity Trust, SAGE Global Giving and CDS Action, and will also benefit from funding from Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme and the Foxley Kingham 50^thAnniversary Foundation.

July 2018

We’re giving you the chance to win a place in the London Marathon 2019.

The marathon will take place on Sunday 28th April and is a great opportunity to raise crucial funds and awareness levels for this fantastic local charity while testing your stamina and being part of something big.

Level Trust supports the thousands of children living in poverty in our town by giving them the things they need for a level chance at school – and beyond. This ranges from school uniform, shoes and coats to learning resources and enriching holiday activities.

We have been allocated one place in the marathon and wants it to go to the right person. If you think that’s you, fill out the online application form before Sunday 26th August 2018 for your chance to be their champion: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LevelTrustMarathon.

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July 2018

Level Trust, a charity that helps families overcome the cost of school, is in with a chance to win up to £4,000 from Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme.

Three groups in the local area have been shortlisted to receive cash awards of £1,000, £2,000 and £4,000. Shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Level Trust will use the grant to fund their fantastic Learn@Home project, which gives children affected by poverty the resources they need to get the most out of learning.

Christian Iszchak from Level Trust said: “Learning is not confined to the classroom so it’s vital to get children reading and drawing, playing and listening, creating and exploring as much as possible at home. Our Learn@Home packs provide resources to help children do just that – for free! With a grant of £4,000 we could give 200 children the resources they need to unlock their amazing potential.”

Voting is open in all Tesco stores during July and August and customers can cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.