Just Caring Midlands was founded in 2012 because we were concerned about the growing number of young people in need of on-going support and care in the West Midlands.
Government cuts have meant that official help is harder to find and is more limited than it has been in the past. Social Services and many other agencies help thousands of vulnerable people every year but often support is only provided for a limited time and in a very prescriptive way. Many people continue to fall through the gaps and are struggling on their own.
At Just Caring Midlands, we are committed to being there for everyone we support, for as long as we are needed.
Birmingham is a vibrant, young city but like any city it has many problems.
The City Council has had to cut £730 million since 2010 and there are likely to be further accumulative savings of £81m by 2024. This has had an impact on our city’s vulnerable adults with official services becoming more stretched and restricted in how they can help.
The COVID pandemic has exacerbated these problems, leaving many of our most vulnerable in even more precarious situations, but with sources of help becoming increasingly difficult to access. Now with the cost of living crisis looming, it is easy to see why the future looks more and more bleak for those who are struggling.
Many people feel trapped in a cycle of poverty and poor mental health with no prospect of life improving.
Just Caring Midlands seeks to reach out to those who are struggling and alone. We offer befriending and mentoring, to help those we support find "a Hope and a Future".
We look to offer help to anyone living in the Birmingham area who is vulnerable and in need of support.
We are able to help people who have become vulnerable for many different reasons. It may be that they are homeless or recovering from an addiction. They might be dealing with a disability, learning difficulty or mental health problem. They may just be alone and struggling to cope with life.
As we are a small charity with limited resources we have focused on helping younger adults (between the ages of 18 and 25). However, many of the people we support are now over 25. We assess each referral carefully and we would consider supporting people who are older than 25 if we felt that we could offer them the support that they need.
Inspired by Jesus' teachings
As Christians we believe we have a duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves, without any agenda or asking anything in return.
Did you know that Christians
- Pushed to abolish slavery?
- Helped create the UK’s welfare system?
- Started many of the UK’s orphanages?
- Founded some of our best known charities like Barnardo’s and Oxfam?
Here at Just Caring Midlands we follow the example Jesus set and are happy to help anyone whether they share our beliefs or not.
We never require or expect anyone who receives help from us, to come to church or read the Bible. We make no demands or claims of any sort but we feel it’s important to say that we do what we do because we love Jesus and seek to honour him by helping those in need … just as he did.
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Our Patron:
John Tindall
John Tindall has been a support and encouragement to Just Caring right from its inception. He has been many things to us during this time; a pastor, mentor, Chair of Trustees and now it is an honour to have him as our patron.
Charity Director:
Peter Mountford
Pete has always had a vision for setting up a charity like Just Caring. He developed this over several years of working with Cornerstone Christian Charity and then Bromford Housing Association. In both roles he worked with homeless young people providing friendship, support and life skills training.
Employed Workers:
Anne Bell
Anne joined Just Caring in 2014 as a Support Worker. She has a background in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture.
She is a keen composter, forager and permaculturist. When Anne isn’t gardening, she can usually be found dragging her dog up a mountain or painting.
Phil Bell
Phil has spent most of his life working in the charity sector, in both Christian and secular organisations. With his experience in administration, finance and management, Phil now enjoys looking after Just Caring’s “back office” services. He also enjoys fell walking, playing squash and cycling.
Trustees:
- Robert Barker
- Dr Graeme Fleming
- Debbie Mountford
- John Mountford
- Neil Parker
- Anne Sterry
Fundraising Coordinator:
Sabeena Hossain
Plus all of our wonderful volunteers!
The original vision for Just Caring was prompted by Pete’s visit to Caring for Life in Leeds in 2006, where he was able to observe the remarkable difference that compassionate care can make in the lives of vulnerable people.
In 2007 a small group began to meet together to pray, explore the possibilities and then to plan. Many of this group now form the board of Trustees and in 2012, Just Caring Midlands was brought to life as a registered charity.
Caring For Life have been incredibly helpful and supportive to us; generously sharing their wisdom, advice and experience. They never fail to encourage and inspire us.
We want to thank the Caring For Life team for everything they have done and continue to do for us!
