How we’ve helped: The Outside Project 💌

When someone is forced to leave their home suddenly, they do not just loose a roof over their head. They risk losing everything that makes that space feel like theirs. For LGBTQ+ individuals who are homeless, this loss is often compounded by family rejection, discrimination, and a lack of safe, inclusive services. In moments of crisis, even deeply personal belongings can be destroyed, abandoned, or taken away.

The Outside Project exists for people who fall through those cracks. The organisation supports members of the LGBTQ+ community experiencing homelessness through a crisis shelter, housing advice, advocacy, outreach, and a domestic abuse refuge. Their work centres dignity, safety, and choice for people who have too often been excluded elsewhere.

How our funding helped

Our grant supported The Outside Project to provide essential items for at least 10 people living in temporary accommodation. This included personal care products, bedding, kitchenware, and furniture. For many, this support arrived at a critical moment when they were being moved quickly and risked losing their belongings for good.

The funding also allowed people to keep items that mattered to them. In situations where moves are rushed and storage is not available, personal belongings are often lost. This grant made it possible for people to hold on to furniture, artwork, and objects with sentimental value that would otherwise have been thrown away or destroyed.

Making space feel like home

Being placed in temporary accommodation can feel cold and unfamiliar, especially after fleeing unsafe or abusive environments. With the help of our grant, people were able to furnish their homes in a way that suited their needs and tastes, turning a temporary space into something that felt more like their own.

This was particularly important for survivors of domestic abuse, many of whom had no control over their space or belongings for a long time. Being able to choose what went into their room, and to keep meaningful items with them, gave them a sense of autonomy and stability at a time when both were in short supply.

Impact on wellbeing

Keeping personal belongings might sound small, but for people in crisis it can make a huge difference. Being able to take items out of unsafe environments meant that artwork, photographs, furniture and gifts from loved ones were not lost. These objects carry memories, identity, and comfort, helping people feel grounded during an incredibly unsettled period.

For many, this support eased anxiety, reduced stress, and made temporary accommodation feel safer and more liveable. Having familiar belongings close by helped people hold onto a sense of self while navigating homelessness, trauma, and uncertainty.

Real stories of change

The organisation shared a quote from one of their beneficiaries:

“At a time when everyone was telling me what they could not do and that I should just go to other agencies, not for a resolution but to be managed, catalogued, and ignored. This money has allowed me to keep my belongings that I got from my mum safe, so that when I eventually get a permanent home, I can build a life with space to remember and to move forward.”

We are proud to support The Outside Project and their work to make sure no one is forced to leave behind their identity, memories, or sense of home just to survive.

Help make more experiences like this possible. Donate today.