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Turn2us

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Turn2us
Company typeCharity
IndustryThird Sector
Founded1897[1]
HeadquartersUK
Key people
Simon Hopkins, Chief Executive[2]
Websitewww.turn2us.org.uk

Turn2us is a charity that helps people living in poverty in the UK and Ireland.[3] Turn2us provides information and support about accessing welfare benefits and charitable grants through an accessible website and a freephone Helpline.

In May 2015 Turn2us merged with former parent charity Elizabeth Finn Care with both brands coming under the Turn2us banner.[4] Turn2us is now the trading name for Elizabeth Finn Care is registered in England and Wales: 207812 and Scotland: SC040987.

Aims

Over 13 million people currently live in poverty in the UK, including 3.9 million children.[5] Elizabeth Finn Care, a charity that supports people experiencing financial difficulties with direct financial assistance, set up Turn2us to respond to this need.

The charity has five objectives that were published in their 2014/15 Annual Report:

  • To distribute direct grants for a series of trusts and funds managed directly by the charity
  • To provide a comprehensive set of channels and resources to help people in financial hardship to gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other support services
  • To provide a focal point for grant giving and for other financially related not-for-profit organisations to tackle poverty
  • To raise awareness of practical help available to those living in financial hardship
  • To run our affairs in a professional and financially sustainable manner

Public campaigns

The charity holds a number of regular campaigns aimed at raising awareness of issues relating to poverty and raising funds for charitable activity. The highest profile of these is their annual fuel poverty campaign. In 2014 Turn2us the campaign was supported by a number of politicians including Brooks Newmark, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey, Cheryl Gillan and Dan Jarvis. In 2015 the Independent newspaper reported "The charity is launching a new "Cut out the Cold" campaign today to highlight the help that struggling people can get with energy costs. Its research suggests that seven out of 10 families have never heard of the Warm Home Discount scheme, for instance, which hands hard-up folk a £140 discount on their electricity bill. The research also reveals that half of hard-up families have not checked their eligibility for benefits while almost nine out of 10 have not checked what free charitable grants may exist.We need to see more done to help raise awareness of the financial support and help available to manage energy bills," said Alison Taylor. "It is vital that people on low incomes are not left behind.”[6]

In November 2015 the charity launched its No Cold Homes campaign to raise awareness of those struggling to afford to heat their homes. The campaign drew support from a range of high profile celebrities who donated winter items to raise money for the charity.[7] Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, who donated to the campaign, commented, "I'm pleased to play a part in helping more families get the vital help they need this winter."[8]

Merger with Elizabeth Finn Care

On 1 October 2009 Elizabeth Finn Care and Turn2us legally joined together to form a single charity, to more effectively help the 13.5 million people currently living in poverty in the UK.[9] At the time of the merger it was decided that the two parts of the newly formed charity would preserve their separate identities.

In 2014 the charity embarked on a project to look into the impact of coming under one brand. As a result of the consultation it was announced that Elizabeth Finn Care and Turn2us were to become Turn2us.[10] On 18 May 2015 the charity formally came under the Turn2us name and a new logo and strap-line were produced to reflect the changes.

Services and activities

When the charity merged under the Turn2us brand in May 2015 it consolidated the charitable activity of Turn2us, Elizabeth Finn Care and Elizabeth Finn Grants under one name.[11] Elizabeth Finn Homes Limited was not impacted by the merger and remains a separate brand. The largest activity as a proportion of charitable expenditure is direct grant giving. In 2013/14 the charity gave £3.4 million to over 4,600 individuals.[12]

The other main area of charitable activity is through raising awareness of financial support through the charity website turn2us.org.uk[13] The charity's Annual Report claims that in 2013/14 over 3 million people used the website with an estimated additional income of £65 million in benefits and grants identified.[12]

Website

The Turn2us website is designed to help people find appropriate sources of financial support, quickly and easily, based on their particular needs and circumstances.

The website includes:

  • A benefits calculator that helps people ensure they are receiving all the welfare benefits they may be entitled to
  • A grants search containing the details of over 3,500 charitable funds (national, regional and local) that may be able to provide financial support and other services
  • A confidential 'My Turn2us' online account that can be used to make enquiries and applications to grant-giving charities
  • Information and resources on welfare benefits, grants and managing money
  • A Find an Adviser tool to help users find local advisers, according to their needs.

Helpline

16% of homes do not have access to the internet.[14] The Turn2us Helpline supports individuals who cannot access or use the Turn2us website.

The Helpline is an independent telephone and online service providing:

  • Welfare benefits calculations
  • Grants searches and support to apply for grants
  • Information and signposting.

The Turn2us Helpline can provide a translation service through Language Line. This allows the person to talk to the Helpline adviser through an interpreter.

The Helpline also provides a service called Typetalk.[15] This is a national telephone relay service for deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, deaf blind and speech-impaired people, which allows them to use a textphone to type what they want to say.

The Helpline is open all year from 9am-8pm, Monday-Friday, and calls are free for all landlines and for major mobile network providers - Orange, 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Virgin and O2. Charges may apply for other network users. Check with the supplier first.

The Turn2us Helpline has achieved The Helplines Association Quality Standard - a system specifically designed to assess telephone helplines working in the field of social welfare.

The Helpline also handles all initial enquiries for grants to Elizabeth Finn Care.

References

  1. ^ "Turn2us - History and Memories".
  2. ^ "Turn2us - How we are managed".
  3. ^ "Turn2us - What we do".
  4. ^ "Turn2us - Our organisation and history".
  5. ^ 'DWP income related benefits estimates of take up 2007-2008', June 2009.
  6. ^ Simon Read (14 January 2015). "Family well-being and health hit by heating costs". The Independent.
  7. ^ "heatworld - Celebrity News - Music & TV - Fashion - heat Magazine". Heat.
  8. ^ "Turn2us - Celebs raise thousands for Turn2us this Christmas".
  9. ^ "Elizabeth Finn Care merges with Turn2us".
  10. ^ "Turn2us - One brand".
  11. ^ "Turn2us - About Us".
  12. ^ a b https://www.turn2us.org.uk/getattachment/About-Us/What-we-do/Annual-Review-2013-14.pdf
  13. ^ "Turn2us - Fighting UK Poverty".
  14. ^ "Internet Access – Households and Individuals 2014 - ONS".
  15. ^ "Typetalk (Info)".
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