Because I will tell you, you are not to blame for any of this,
you're an amazing mother, your husband works, you work, you work hard.
You paid your way, none of this is your fault.
Before you leave today give me all your details
and give me the details of who you spoke to, all of that
and I'll ring up and kick some arse darling.
You'll not be homeless.
It's just ridiculous it's like do I put my gas on
or do I make sure my kids have got a happy Christmas.
It was at risk of being sold basically and probably bought by a property developer,
at the time of the worst food and fuel crisis in the most deprived area.
I just felt like it was morally incumbent on us to take this on.
These women do have a lot, they have a lot on their plate, don't they?
You know, you've got twins and a child.
Sorry.
A son.
I got twins and a ginger.
And twins and a ginger.
I have a ginger too.
Emotionally as well it's always down to the woman
to make sure everything's running smoothly, to make sure the kids are fine
and yeah.
Definitely 100%.
Hello.
Oh, oh thanks.
Oh, she's gonna love it.
She's at school today.
Oh, is it a money box?
It is.
Have you got any money in it?
No.
We come in with nothing in our hands, we go out with like 20 bags
and all that don't we.
What you like?
You are.
That's a hole in my ceiling, in mine and my girl's bedroom.
That's when I told the council, they said well it's fine.
It's been like that for six years.
It drips, it just started off a little bit.
My four-year-old suffers croup and my eight-year-old gets asthma
and I've got, I'm just ill constantly because of it.
I share with my four-year-old and my eight-year-old, so that's hard as it is
because I haven't got my own space and then that added pressure of the leak.
It was just like I just I'm ready to give up if ...
Yeah.
I just want my house sorted.
This is our craft club,
the reason we do this is obviously crafts are very therapeutic, it brings people together,
but also we're focusing very much this term on making gifts and things for Christmas,
because we're –
Nobody has any money.
I represent people who are stepped over and ignored and are never heard.
They're taught all the time by authority to sit down and shut up, you know?
So these people I feel like I have to be the bolshy one and say enough is enough,
whether on behalf of them.
You know and this can't go on.
Last night I took my daughter into my bed because it got cold,
throw on an extra throw and all I thought was: it starts.
You know once this weather gets really bad, people will get cold and die
over the winter.
We are on a war footing, it's ridiculous.
People are like literally rationing and that is criminal, it's criminal.
Have I been speaking to you on –
Online, no, alright that's fine.
No on the emails, there was a –
Yeah, they used to put youth groups on didn't they, years ago in this centre?
Hello Tony dear, right,
I put all this stuff in the container ...
So it looks a bit sparse at the moment, because we've just had a lot of people
come and take food.
We're about dignity.
I've never known anyone abuse it, you know?
If anything they don't take enough and we're having to say,
'That's not going to feed you for three days.'
Baby food costs money too and we have stories of women,
perfectly law abiding women shoplifting baby food for the baby.
So we're trying to steer them away from that,
so we have, we give baby food.
Nappies are a huge expense.
Nearly all the mums who come to us at crisis on,
are already not buying period products or personal hygiene products
or deodorants and whatever for themselves,
because these mums will always put their kids first.
And so do you have a lot of period products there?
Yeah, yeah because we've had stories of women
using rags and old socks and all kinds of things.
I'm sorry I know that's quite personal but,
It's ridiculous in this day and age isn't it?
It's an outrage.
And I will say as well,
of the purposes of the camera and our government, a lot of these are working.
My lived experience of coming from poverty
I first came back to Newcastle fleeing domestic violence
when my son was two-years-old and my daughter was six-months-old
and I had two carrier bags and the safety net picked me up.
And through my life I've had key people
and my son, that two-year-old, is now a Justice of the Peace.
I know he's a bright boy and of course he's brilliant,
because he's my son and we all think our sons are brilliant,
but I know that there could be 20 Justice's of the Peace in this community,
but they won't be at the minute.
Just makes me angry.
Today when I read that thing about work and families, you know,
basically what you're saying is get a job,
that's sort of it, get a job.
They have a job, they have a job, she has a job, they have jobs,
but they can't live.
You know, sorry.
This is supposed to be a therapy and maybe I need to do a little bit of crafting.
That's lovely.
What are you going to use yours for?
Come on ladies you'll be doing me a favour, have some food.
Would you like some cake?
What is Ukrainian for cake?
Would you like one lovely?
That's it, thank you.
Thank you.
What perfect English say that again, that makes my day.
Say thank you very much.
How's life love?
Well not good today.
Where are you with the housing situation?
Nowhere.
What are the council saying?
Not a lot.
They've not given me an update, they haven't got anywhere yet.
Yeah I promise you, you'll not be homeless, even if we've got to –
I've got a sit here with you here and we'll put some bloody blankets there.
I promise you darling you're not going to be homeless.
I had the school on the phone because of [child's] behaviour and at home.
her stress – because I'm stressed.
Well of course the bairns are going to be affected by it,
kids are affected by these things.
But the school are obviously blaming me for it saying what's happening at home?
Darling its –
They already know what's happening at home, they already know.
Do you want me to ring the school?
I don't think so, I don't know.
I've got a meeting, but I've got to sort the meeting one now, because (unclear) is getting bullied anyway.
Aw, baby that's aw.
I know you're carrying so much.
Tell me what I can do to help.
I don't know, I literally –
It's alright, you lean on me darling.
Let's make a plan, right.
First thing is you are not going to be homeless.
I know.
You're not by yourself,
you've got a team of bloody bolshy women gonna help you out.
Do I have to start swearing at people?
Do I?
The landlord's selling up because obviously rates are high and everything like that,
so we've got till Christmas Eve, 24th of December,
to find somewhere.
But we're the highest priority with the council,
so they're trying to obviously get somewhere for us with two children,
but at the minute there's nothing.
I haven't heard nothing back.
With two children it is, it's stressful, it is, the sleepless nights, everything.
The oldest is getting affected by it and I've had the school ring us yesterday,
because her behaviour at school is going downhill.
Which I don't want because she was doing absolutely fab
and because I'm stressed, she's stressed.
So we're just keeping everything crossed that we can.
Gracie we'll get on the case.
Yeah, yeah we'll sort that don't you worry.
Don't you worry.
Friday, so the 23rd, I thought we'd close here at 12,
but have the morning of Christmas films, hot chocolate, warmth,
maybe give the kids something nice,
get the mums something nice.
We're gonna have our events planning meeting anyway.
Yeah.
But we've got Christmas parties for everybody.
I wasn't sure what you were doing with that there.
People have been donating new underwear,
because every child's got to have new underwear, new socks, new pyjamas
and I'm asking for warm onesies this year,
because they'll not be using their gas and electric.
Blankets.
Blankets and stuff yeah.
Do you know there's people telling me now they're keeping the coat on indoors?
Hasn't even started yet.
That's what I'm doing.
Oh, you're keeping your coat on indoor?
I'm not putting the heating on.
Yeah, I have –
I will literally sit in a coat
and then if the girls are in the house,
if it's that cold, then I will put the heating on for them.
Yeah.
If I'm in the house by myself I don't care.
I really don't, I'll sit in the cold and just sit there.
But do you know what though, that makes me so upset Gracie,
because every single mum, every single woman who comes through this centre
and I've had this conversation about six times already this morning,
every single woman going I'm fine, I'm all right, don't worry about me, just sort my kids out,
I'm not important, but you are important.
You deserve to be warm and well fed and happy and loved and looked after.
You can't pour from an empty cup, you've got to be okay, so your kids are okay.
I know, that's the thing isn't it at the minute,
trying to keep it all together for everybody.
But the thing is if we get this right for you mums,
it means that the kids have all the opportunities.
When I came back to Newcastle on the train,
with carrier bags and a two-year-old and a six-month-old,
I was scooped up and yeah I was homeless for a couple of weeks,
but they were on it and my kids grew up having normal experiences
and a happy mum, a supported mum and that's the difference.
You know.
Now it feels like there's no support though.
I don't think there's a lot of support,
well especially with what I'm going through.
Nobody's ...
You know, apart from you obviously, you have always been there supporting things,
but the council and things haven't,
they're not giving us anything but nothing.
Hello again.
Hello Shaughna.
Hello, you alright?
I've brought a pram for you and two bags.
Look at this handsome boy.
Are you stopping for a brew, or are you coming out?
We have to go back.
Got it, I'll walk you out then darling.
Thank you very much.
No problem.
See you later.
Bye.
See you later.
We have more stuff for you, it's like Christmas isn't it?
Gets excited and then –
And this is your little home in here, isn't it darling?
Oh yes.
Yeah we just keep bringing out, paid in coffee and toast.
Because I suffer from mental health issues and being at home on my own
it's struggle, so being here, having something to do
and knowing there's people in there if I need to, it's ...
like my little safe haven.
And you get lots of cuddles too, don't you, whether she wants them or not.
Yes I do, yeah.
Whether she wants them or not.
Makes you at ease, knowing that Louise and Janine are out there to help you,
with out judging or making you feel belittled, that's what you need.
Not the council that's going to look down on us again
where's your money gone, why haven't you done this, why haven't you done that,
regardless of what it is that you need.
If you need help regardless of what position you're in they're there,
they don't even question it.
And where would you be without them?
Lost.
Lost just, knowing that they're here if you need them,
do you need to just like to talk to her, have a cuppa,
just little things like that, that make all the difference as well.
Sorry.
We're having a volunteer night, I can tell you that.
We're having a volunteers party now I've decided.
You can bring your own, I'm licensed to bring your own.
I know you don't drink, but I do.
I'll need a drink by Christmas.