Huge funding boost for York charity that helps hoarders
The cash is coming from the National Lottery Community Fund
An York organisation that helps people tackle the mental health issue of hoarding, and get their lives back on track has received around £400,000 of National Lottery funding.
Through tailored interventions, including practical decluttering and mental health resources and signposting, Community Bees empowers individuals to overcome challenges and take control of their lives.
It is estimated that between 2.5% and 6% of the UK population have some level of hoarding disorder, with only 5% ever seeking professional support.
And while the condition is recognised by the NHS, campaigners like Michaela Shaw, Manager at Community Bees, still feel that it needs to be taken more seriously, and that its roots run much deeper than simply ‘someone living in a messy home’.
A study by the British Psychology Society found that nearly 50% of hoarders live alone. The same number said family and friends never visited. And 33% wouldn’t allow anyone into their home.
Michaela said: “Hoarding is a very lonely condition, and many people don’t realise just how much of a big and complex mental health issue it is. The reality is that it doesn’t discriminate. It impacts our loved ones, friends, family members, colleagues, and neighbours. In York alone, there are thousands of people living in unsafe homes due to hoarding. It can lead to fires, falls, and health issues, and that’s why it’s so important that we help not just practically, but emotionally too.
“People often feel a lot of shame and guilt about their struggles, so the most important thing is not to judge someone who you think may be hoarding. A big myth surrounding hoarding is that people are ‘lazy’, and this incorrect stigma stops many people from seeking support.
Joe Dobson, Head of Funding for Yorkshire and Humber at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re proud to support amazing organisations like Community Bees CIC, allowing them to continue providing much needed life changing support to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“Over the next three years, we will dedicate more than 50% of our grants in communities experiencing greatest poverty and disadvantage.”