Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t have a bed or mattress to sleep on. That’s why we’ve partnered with Zarach in their every head a bed campaign, to help support families in poverty to get the sleep they deserve.
Our charity partnership with Zarach allows us to raise vital funds to provide beds and mattresses for families in need. It also allows us to raise awareness of the amazing work Bex is doing to help children and families get support. They provide bed bundles that include a bed, mattress, duvet, pillow, bedding, pyjamas and a hygiene pack.
Find out more about Zarach, how our partnership works and what you can do to support them below.
Who are Zarach?
Zarach was founded in 2017, by Bex Wilson a deputy headteacher from a primary school in Leeds. After a heartbreaking conversation with a pupil, Bex knew she had to do something to help families in poverty get the basics they needed to live a better life.
Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, by ensuring children arrive at school fully refreshed and ready to learn, we allow them the best possible opportunities to become the best version of their future selves.
Over the last few years, Bex and her team have helped thousands of children get a better night’s sleep, allowing them to excel as individuals and at school.
What does Zarach do?
Zarach was founded to support families living in poverty and they have four core values:
- Energy-giving
- A friendly team who give high and positive energy
- Enthusiastic and forward thinking
- Equal opportunities to succeed
- Everyone should have the opportunity to grasp what success means for them
- They should also have the opportunity to go for it
- Education makes the difference
- Education is important and Zarach works to stamp down barriers to education for children
- Excellence
- Believe in doing things well
- Maximising resources to demonstrate excellence
To help even more people, Zarach has five major projects, detailed below.
Every head a bed
The Every Head a Bed campaign aims to help children get access to healthy, nutritious food and have somewhere safe and comfortable to sleep. When our children get a good night’s sleep and eat healthily, they are more likely to succeed in school. Zarach receives referrals from over 100 primary schools in the Leeds area alone.
When children perform at their best in school, they are provided with the tools needed to break the cycle of poverty.
Find out more about Zarachs ‘Every head a bed’ project over on their website.
Thrive
Bex and her team know that a new bed in itself isn;t the answer to breaking the cycle of poverty, but its a huge step forward. As part of their Thrive project, Zarach works with families to build a Thrive Plan. This plan means families get the support they need to allow them to move forward and achieve financial independence.
Project Vantry
During the first 100 days of lockdown, Zarach worked to feed over 1,000 people in need. This project provided much-needed support when the loss of income was at a national high. The team provided food parcels for families who were unable to purchase food and extra support for those who were struggling to make ends meet.
Since the lifting of lockdown, Project Vantry has continued to support families referred to Zarach by delivering emergency food parcels. They also run a weekly food club, to give parents the choice around the meals they put on the table for their family.
You can find out more about Project Vantry over on the Zarach website.
Healthy holidays
School holidays are meant to be fun, but for one million pupils who receive free school meals, they are at risk of holiday hunger. But it isn’t just the children, low-income parents often skip meals so that their children can eat.
The Healthy Holidays initiative allows families to have fun, stay active and get fed during the school holidays. Families can attend the Zarach Healthy Holiday Lunch Club. These clubs are run one day a week, with fun, family activities. They also allow every member of the family to enjoy a hot meal.
Zarach also funds summer camps run by external organisations for children aged 5-11. This costs just £50 per child for the week.
How does our charity partnership support Zarach?
When we first started our charity partnership supporting Zarach, we became one of their Dream Makers, making a commitment to donate annually for the next three years. We also made a much-needed donation of beds, mattresses and bedding bundles for families in need. Since then, we’ve continued our in-house fundraising efforts through Business Fives events.
How can you support Zarach?
Just like our charity partnership with Zarach, there are a number of ways that you can support the charity. This includes fundraising, becoming a regular giver by setting up monthly donations and making bed bundle purchases through their Amazon wish list. You can also purchase Bex’s new book, Zed Ted, via Amazon and Waterstones.
Donations
A complete Zarach Bed Bundle is worth £500, but thanks to sponsors and donations, they cost just £150. This means a monthly donation of £12.50 a month will give one head a bed each year.
If you’d like to make a one-off or monthly donation to Zarach, head over to their donations page.
Fundraising
Fundraising is a great way to raise vital funds for charities but also have fun yourself. Below are just a few ideas for fundraising events you can run yourself:
- Bake sale
- Charity run
- Sponsored walk
- Book sale
- Raffle
Amazon wishlists
Zarach has a public wishlist filled with essentials for families in need, including bedding, toothbrushes, pyjamas and so much more. Wishlists are an easy way to make small donations, simply choose the item you want to donate and click purchase. Amazon does the rest for you.
Head over to Zarachs wishlist if you’d like to make a donation by purchasing an item.
How can you get support?
The team at Zarach work with schools and partner organisations to receive referrals, allowing them to support families. Once this referral has been made, Zarach works with the family to prepare a bed bundle, which is delivered by their team, along with food parcels, and preloved school uniforms in the food club marketplace.
But the support doesn’t stop there, Zarach will continue to support the family to get them back on track, whether this is just a friendly face to talk to, or a hand to hold while accessing other support services.
We really do believe that sleep is a right, not a privilege and our charity partnership with Zarach is just one of the many ways we’re helping the nation sleep better. If you’re struggling to sleep, we’ve got a whole host of helpful sleep tips over on our blog.
