This week, we’d like to help a family from Shropshire in desperate need of kindness.

The mum has rheumatoid arthritis – it is so severe that she finds it hard to move around easily and is unable to look after herself, so she is cared for full-time by her husband. He also looks after their two children.

Their home has fallen into a very poor state. It reached the point where a lot of the furniture had to be thrown away as it was unsafe.

To make matters worse, one of the children was recently sexually assaulted (by someone outside of the family). There is a police investigation and they are all struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The mum and dad feel an enormous sense of guilt that they couldn’t protect their child, and the children have been deeply affected.

Their home life has been slowly deteriorating, to the point where support workers and social workers have now stepped in to help.

The support worker who nominated the family said their mental health is at rock bottom. She fears the children are at risk of neglect – not because their parents don’t love and care for them, but because they have never sought the help that they desperately needed. She said they have little money...and what little they have is always spent on things like after school clubs and activities for the children, rather than things for the home. While prioritising activities for the children is lovely, it has reached the point where they don’t even have chairs to sit on at home.

The assault took place in the child’s bedroom, so that room has become a very scary place for them, filled with horrific memories.

With your help, we would like to give this family a fresh start and make sure the children have what they need.