I first reached out to Torch after fleeing a domestic violence situation with my four-year-old daughter. We had moved from London to Reading, and the trauma of what we had been through had severely affected my mental health, making it impossible for me to work. Although I had been given temporary emergency accommodation, I was in desperate need of help to move into a permanent flat that the council had secured for us.
… the thought of tackling the home improvements felt like another challenge after everything I’d been through.
When I first saw the flat, it was overwhelming. It was on the fourth floor of a building with no lift, completely empty, and in desperate need of essentials—furniture, white goods, flooring, and decorating. There were no curtains or blinds on the windows, which made it feel even less like a home. Seeing the flat in this way made me feel even more depressed and hopeless, and the thought of tackling the home improvements felt like another challenge after everything I’d been through.
The council covered the cost of a fridge-freezer and basic kitchen pack, and Torch funded everything else.
Torch immediately stepped in to support me. They reached out to Christian Community Action (CCA), who arranged for the delivery of a microwave, a fridge freezer, a double hob, a table with two chairs, and a basic kitchen pack. The council covered the cost of a fridge-freezer and basic kitchen pack, and Torch funded everything else.
Two volunteers came to measure the windows and returned after Christmas to fit curtains and blinds. I had almost no furniture, so one of the volunteers kindly up-cycled a chest of drawers for my daughter’s bedroom and brought it back when they came to fit the blinds; this made the flat feel more warm and homely.
By chance, while they were measuring the windows, the CCA delivery arrived. Seeing that the basic kitchen pack wasn’t enough, one of the volunteers later returned with extra plates, glasses, and cutlery—little things that made a huge difference.
I had no experience with DIY, so when a Torch volunteer came to install the blinds, I asked her for advice on decorating. As it was within the volunteers skillset, she and her husband, who is also a Torch volunteer, kindly offered to return the next day to decorate the two bedrooms. Since I didn’t have transport, she even took me to B&Q to pick out paint using a decorating voucher from the council.
The entire space felt more like a home and my hope for a better future was restored.
The flat had been left in a bad state, with different colored walls from previous tenants. After a full day of painting, the bedrooms felt completely different. Motivated by the transformation, the volunteers agreed to come back another day to paint the lounge as well. By the end of the second day, the lounge was freshly painted and damaged wallpaper had been repaired. The entire space felt more like a home and my hope for a better future was restored.
When my daughter walked in and saw her new pink bedroom, she was so excited that she immediately asked for her pyjamas—she wanted to go to bed right away!
One of the most special moments was when my daughter’s room was put together. Thanks to support from First Days, I had been able to get her a new bed and bedding, but everything was still flat-packed. While I went to pick her up from the train station, the volunteers set to work assembling the bed and setting up her room with toys. When she walked in and saw her new pink bedroom, she was so excited that she immediately asked for her pyjamas—she wanted to go to bed right away! This provided me a sense of comfort and joy to see her so happy and enthusiastic about her new bedroom.
Another challenge was the lack of flooring. Like many council flats, this one had been stripped of all flooring before we moved in. I eventually decided on laminate flooring, but I had no way to transport it home. Two volunteers met me at the store, helped carry 11 packs of flooring and underlay, and then carried them up four flights of stairs. It was such a huge effort, and I was incredibly grateful for their kindness.
Their volunteers went above and beyond to make sure my daughter and I had a safe, comfortable home.
Looking back, I don’t know how I would have managed without Torch. Their volunteers went above and beyond to make sure my daughter and I had a safe, comfortable home. More than just practical help, they gave me a sense of community, support, and hope. I feel extremely grateful and blessed. I was reminded that I wasn’t alone and that God answers prayers—He sends faithful servants who are willing to use their gifts to bless others.
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