Compassionate Cuts

❤️ WE’RE GETTING THERE — BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! ❤️

A massive thank you to Katie and her amazing hubby for doing TWO dump runs this afternoon! You’re like whippets — in and out and making a huge dent! 😂❤️

The shed is already here and ready to go, but there’s still a few hurdles before we can actually use it.

We need to get the garden fully cleared, the base and flooring sorted, and the shed professionally built, before we can kit it out with shelves and rails for all the clothing and donations we receive.

Right now, donations are taking over my home, and I desperately need this space up and running so I can properly organise and provide our clothing support without everything spilling into every room.

So right now, financial donations are what would help us most. ❤️

If you can spare £5, £10 or £20 towards getting this finished, it genuinely brings us one step closer to having a proper working space.

🙏 Help us get the shed up, the donations organised and my house back! 😂❤️

https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=83HRSU34GFZN8

❤️ The little requests that mean so much… ❤️

It truly warms my heart when one of our homeless friends reaches out and asks us for something they need.

Not because the request is necessarily big or difficult, but because behind that message is something much bigger — trust.

They trust us enough to tell us what they need, without worrying that we’ll question it, judge it or make them feel like they’re asking for too much. They know we’ll listen, and that we’ll do our very best to help where we can.

This isn’t the first message we’ve received like this. It’s just the most recent, and honestly, every single time I get one, it fills my heart. 🥹❤️

This particular request was simply for a specific brand of razors.

A really simple thing for us to fulfil, even with a specific brand requested. We don’t question why they want that particular one — if that’s what works for them, that’s what we’ll try to get.

I’ll usually pop things like this onto our Amazon wishlist, but there’s absolutely no pressure or expectation that someone will purchase them. If they don’t, it’s no big deal. Razors are easy enough for me to pick up in Boots around the corner.

I just wanted to share one of those small, everyday requests that we don’t always talk about.

Because helping people isn’t always about the big emergency appeals or expensive items.

Sometimes it’s simply being the person they feel safe enough to message and say, “I need this.”

And being trusted with that means more to me than I can put into words. ❤️

If anyone would like to help with little requests like these, you can find our Amazon wishlist here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/registries/gl/guest-view/8OHU3KQ7WDE?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_ESWNHSD3XQ0T6THR4E7C

❤️ A little update on our “take our space back” appeal… ❤️

We’re now around a quarter of the way to our £850 target, and I honestly can’t thank everyone who has donated enough. 🥹❤️

But I want to be honest about why this appeal means so much to me.

I’m struggling with the chaos at home.

There are bags piled up the stairs, boxes behind the door and donations wherever I can squeeze them in. And then there’s my back garden…

Honestly, it looks like a landfill pile. 😭

It’s full of unsuitable donations, broken items, cardboard and things that need removed before we can even prepare the area for our shed.

And yes, things ARE going out all the time! 😂 We’re constantly getting food, clothing, hygiene items and other donations out to people who need them. But somehow, it still feels like I’m fighting a losing battle.

I’ll spend hours sorting, organising and getting things out, only to look around and feel like nothing has changed.

And if I’m completely honest, it’s starting to get to me.

I feel like I’m running Compassionate Cuts from inside a storage cupboard rather than having a home I can actually switch off in. I finish working, walk through the door… and I’m still surrounded by work.

It’s draining me.

That shed could genuinely change things. ❤️ It means clearing the rubbish, getting the base and flooring done, building it and adding proper shelving and rails.

It means bags off my stairs, boxes out from behind my door, a garden that doesn’t look like a landfill, organised donations and, hopefully, a little breathing space.

We’re ¼ of the way there already. 🥹

If you can help us get the rest of the way, even £1, £5 or £10, it would mean so much.

And if you can’t donate, please don’t worry — a share could help us reach someone who can. ❤️

I don’t often ask for something that will primarily make my own life easier, but this time I really need to.

I need to take my space back. ❤️

Can you help me do that? 🫶

https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=83HRSU34GFZN8

Much Love,
Tammy xo ❤️

❤️ The Giving Table – 06.09.26 ❤️

Today’s menu was chicken casserole and potatoes or a coconut Malaysian chickpea curry, with our usual selection of fruit. We had melon, pineapple and plums, which all went down an absolute treat. 🍍🍈

Snack packs were ready to go and we had smoothies, yoghurts, rice puddings, custard and some of our ready-to-eat porridges, which were a great hit. Chocolate chip cookies were our table snack today. 🍪

And when I tell you every single item we brought with us was handed out, I mean it! We even had a bit of a late comer who was absolutely starving, so I sent Amy and Sophie off to the Centra nearby to get him something to eat and drink.

We also somehow managed to run out of hot water, so Amy popped into Hjem to see if they could help us out. They very kindly filled it up for us, and then, before they closed, left some pastries and sausage rolls over for the guys who were still hanging about. ❤️

It was a busy one on Academy Street today. When we arrived, there was already quite a crowd waiting, who all so patiently waited while we got everything set up. Then more appeared from nowhere and we had quite a number of new faces join us.

We were also reunited with some friends we hadn’t seen for a number of weeks, and it was so lovely to catch up with everyone. 🥰

Our two gents who needed new tents were absolutely elated with them and are looking forward to a dry night’s sleep in their new setups. One of the gents’ tent zips had completely come off this week, so having a brand-new, fully functioning tent was certainly very welcome. ⛺️❤️

I also got a text message last night from one of our friends asking if they could get a haircut today. Of course, while I had everything with me, anyone who wanted one could have one.

We had three gents get their hair cut, all of whom were incredibly appreciative, and one even got a shave. ✂️❤️

As usual, we all stood chatting for a while afterwards. One face we’ve seen several times joined us instead of taking herself off as she usually does. She later asked for a haircut and, even though we had already packed everything away, that was absolutely no problem — so she got a haircut too.

Thank goodness we did stay.

Unfortunately, this young girl then took quite a turn.

She had been with us for around 45 minutes at this point and, prior to this, had been perfectly coherent — chatting, engaged in conversation and interacting with us normally. The change seemed very sudden, with no discernible cause.

She was under the influence of something, but prior to this it hadn’t seemed to be causing too much of an issue, and she certainly hadn’t taken anything while she was with us.

Her speech became incoherent and she couldn’t keep herself awake. Although she was still sitting upright, she became very difficult to rouse and wasn’t making much sense at all.

We knew we couldn’t just leave her.

I phoned the Welcome Organisation, who advised us to call an ambulance, so of course we did.

The ambulance dispatcher advised us to try to lay her down. She wasn’t entirely unconscious and, when we tried to do this, she shuffled herself onto her side and then simply plopped her head onto my knee.

The dispatcher had to go, but advised us that if anything changed we should call back and someone would be with us as soon as possible.

So we stayed.

We kept a close eye on her breathing and skin colour to make sure she wasn’t struggling to breathe or deteriorating.

By this point, we were already well past the time we should have been home. In fact, she had been out for almost an hour when a young homeless gent came along and offered Narcan.

I didn’t believe it was an op**te overdose, so I asked if the young girl would respond if asked what she had taken. Thankfully, she replied “Spice”, so we knew Narcan wouldn’t be needed.

This young gent then advised us to rub her back and try to help rouse her.

After around 20 minutes or so of rubbing her back, sorting her with some water and generally making sure she was okay, she started to come around.

Earlier, I had offered her a tracksuit because she had been complaining of being cold, so we helped her get this over her clothes. By this stage, she was back to her normal self and was hunting through her snack pack looking for a bar of chocolate. ❤️

She told us she wanted to get to the Welcome Centre, so I checked what time it closed. I knew it only opened again from 4pm and she told me it closed at 5pm.

I checked the time and told her there were only 15 minutes left — it was quarter to five.

I also explained that we had an ambulance on the way. She was adamant she didn’t need it and just wanted to get to the Welcome Centre. She assured us she had a crash bed for the night and would get into it soon enough.

So, of course, I rang and cancelled the ambulance.

All I can do now is hope that this young girl is okay for the rest of the evening and that she made it safely to her crash bed. ❤️

And then there’s the part of today that really got me thinking.

The young gent who offered the Narcan was actually our late caller — the same young man Sophie and Amy had gone to the Centra with to get food.

He was absolutely starving, bless him, and had arrived long after we should have been home. I knew we had to feed him.

I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason.

We were meant to stay later because this young girl wanted her hair cut.

Staying later meant we were there when she took that turn, and we were able to stay with her and support her through it.

And this young man was meant to happen upon us when he did, because he so desperately needed fed.

Even our older gents stayed behind to make sure that this young girl — and myself, Amy and Sophie — were okay while we dealt with everything.

Today was so much more than food.

It was hot meals, snack packs, fruit, haircuts and new tents.

It was a dry night’s sleep.

It was a chocolate bar.

It was a young man getting something to eat when he was starving.

It was someone staying beside a vulnerable young girl when she needed somebody there.

It was people looking out for each other.

And it was a reminder that sometimes, we don’t get to choose how long we stay or exactly what our plans are — but maybe there’s a reason when those plans change. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who makes the Giving Table possible. Every donation, every item, every helping hand and every person who stands beside us makes these moments possible.

And tonight, I’m just incredibly grateful that we stayed. ❤️

❤️ OK guys, I’ve had a little think… ❤️

Following yesterday’s post, I’ve had so many lovely offers from people willing to help with dump runs, and honestly, at the time it felt a little overwhelming trying to picture how I was going to organise everyone and wondering if I’d end up needing to be available over several different days to facilitate it all.

I think sometimes when I suddenly get lots of offers of help at once, my brain goes into “HOW on earth am I going to organise all of this?” mode 😂. It can feel like another huge thing to add to the to-do list, even though I’m incredibly grateful for every single offer.

As always, I’ve gone away, had a proper look at everything, and given myself some time to work out a way of doing it that makes sense and doesn’t create a whole host of extra things for me to manage. Sometimes I just need to step back, get everything straight in my head and then I can see a way forward. ❤️

When I looked at my schedule, I genuinely couldn’t see a day off until 21st September, and that felt far too long to leave things sitting around. But after looking at it properly, I can actually facilitate a day this coming Friday 11th September.

I can be available for either:

🕥 10:30am – 11:30am
or
🕑 2pm – 4pm

I have a telephone interview/review sometime between 12pm and 1:30pm, so I need to keep that time free.

If you were one of the lovely people who messaged offering to help and you’re available on Friday, please send a message directly to the Compassionate Cuts page and let me know which time slot works for you, along with a rough idea of what time you’re planning to come.

I know I chat with some of you through my personal profile too, but keeping all the offers in messages to the page will make it SO much easier for me to keep track of who is coming and organise everything without my brain melting. 😂❤️

One little request if you’re helping with the dump runs: some of the things have been sitting outside, so if you’re able to put something down to protect your car, please do. The last thing I would ever want is for anyone to kindly give up their time to help me, only to end up needing to pay for a valet afterwards! 🙈

And just so everyone knows, the dump runs are only one part of getting this all sorted. We still need to purchase a suitable shed base and floor, and ideally we need someone who is happy to help actually build the shed once we have everything. It’s second-hand and, naturally, has arrived with absolutely zero instructions 😂🤦‍♀️ so this may well be another little adventure in itself!

But honestly, I’m incredibly grateful. What initially felt like an overwhelming number of offers has actually reminded me just how many people are willing to step forward and help when I need it.

Thank you. Truly. ❤️

❤️ Truth time, guys… I’m beginning to lose the plot slightly. ❤️

I’m going to be completely honest with you. The state of my flat is beginning to have a detrimental effect on my mental health. It looks like something from Hoarders Anonymous, with bags and boxes everywhere, and I’m at the point where I desperately need to take some of my space back.

A few months ago, we were very kindly given a shed. We are incredibly grateful for it, but unfortunately, it’s still sitting waiting to be built.

There are a few reasons for that.

🏡 The garden

The Housing Executive have been carrying out outside works, and unfortunately, it seemed that every time something was done, something else ended up broken or destroyed. Six days after the guys from the church so kindly did my garden, the Housing Executive came along and power-washed away all the beautiful stones they had laid. It took numerous emails and phone calls before the foreman eventually came to my door and rectified it.

After everything that happened, I decided it was best to wait until the works were finished before putting the shed up.p

🌧️ We need a proper base and flooring

We need to make sure the shed is properly prepared before we fill it with donations. With our lovely wet weather, putting it straight onto the ground would leave us at risk of things getting damp or ruined.

🔨 We need someone to build it

I had initially hoped my dad would be able to help, but it’s far too big of a shed for him to take on, and quite frankly, neither would I be any good at it. With my recent diagnoses of perimenopause and fibromyalgia, I think we can safely say I’m not exactly the ideal candidate for a day of shed building! 😂

🗑️ And then there’s the space…

My back garden is currently a collection of broken and unsuitable donations.

We’ve had some beautiful items donated for our clients, and we are so grateful for every single one. But unfortunately, we’ve also had an influx of items that are simply not suitable for us to use.

Chipped and cracked crockery. Heavily stained small furniture. Rusted kitchen utensils. Peeling pots and pans. Opened, half-used toiletries. Out-of-date food. Clothing left outside without letting me know, absolutely saturated in rain. Shoes that crumble when you touch them.

And that’s not even including the cardboard from all your kind Amazon deliveries!

All of these items have to be removed by us, and unfortunately, that costs money.

Did you know a van is only allowed six visits to our local dump in a 12-month period? Well, it’s safe to say I’ve well used mine up before Dolores went off on her holiday to Millisle. 😂

I also only have a small blue bin, but enough cardboard to fill it ten times over every week. I get as much out as I can in our household waste, but it’s simply not enough.

📦 The clothing situation

Our current outdoor storage is full to the brim with clothing donations, and I literally have no space inside to organise any more.

That’s not even including what Dolores took with her to Millisle.

I’m trying my best to issue clothing to requesters, and even though each person gets a huge bag full, I feel like I’m not getting anywhere. Everything is constantly being sorted through because I just don’t have the space to organise the clothing in the most convenient way.

We will need some storage for the clothing in the shed, but the main thing right now is regaining that space and getting the shed built so I can start taking my flat back.

Thankfully, our food storage of Kallax units is working perfectly for now. It’s small, and we run out of bulkier items quicker than non-bulky ones, but it’s functional, and we can live with that for now.

❤️ So, what do we need?

I’ve done some calculations and got quotes, and this is the breakdown:

🔨 Shed base — £230
🪵 Shed flooring — £100
🏡 Shed building — £150
🗑️ Rubbish removal — £240
📦 Storage shelves and rails — £100

Total: £820

Because our payment options take fees, we would need to raise £850 to make sure the full amount is covered.

This isn’t just about getting a shed built. It’s about getting our storage organised, being able to work more efficiently, making better use of the donations we receive, and honestly… getting my home back to some sort of organised state.

I know there are so many worthy causes out there, and I never take your support for granted. But if you’re in a position to help us get this sorted, I would be incredibly grateful.

Whether it’s £1, £5, £10 or £20, every single penny will help us get one step closer to having a proper storage space and taking some of the pressure off.

And if you can’t donate, please don’t worry. Sharing this appeal would mean just as much. ❤️

Can you help us take our space back? 🫶

If you can help, you can donate here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=83HRSU34GFZN8

Much Love Tammy xo

❤️ SPONSOR A SUNDAY ❤️

Every Sunday, we head out to Belfast to spend time with our homeless friends, offering not just food, but a warm meal, a friendly face and a reminder that they haven’t been forgotten. 🫶

We’re asking if you’d consider sponsoring a Sunday and helping us keep those meals coming.

🍽️ £3.75 provides a fresh, nutritious meal for one person.
🍽️ £15 could provide meals for 4 people.
🍽️ £37.50 could provide meals for 10 people.
🍽️ £75 could provide 20 fresh meals.

There’s absolutely no pressure to sponsor a whole Sunday. Every single penny helps, and donations really do add up. ❤️

For someone who is sleeping rough, a hot, freshly prepared meal can mean so much more than simply filling an empty stomach. It’s a chance to sit down, eat something nutritious, have a chat and feel cared about for a little while.

We believe everyone deserves access to good, nourishing food — regardless of their circumstances. 💗

If you’re able to help us sponsor a meal, a few meals or even an entire Sunday, you can donate securely through PayPal:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8UFV2W34W4NW6

Thank you for helping us continue showing up for the people who need us most. ❤️

❤️

A huge thank you to every single person who has sent something from our Amazon wishlist. 🥹❤️

I’m trying my best to remember to photograph everything as it arrives so I can share it with you on Thankful Thursdays, but sometimes things arrive and, in the chaos of everything else, I simply forget! 😂

You’ve been helping us stock up on snacks, drinks, smoothies, veggie instant meals and even some dry dog food for our four-legged friends. 🐾❤️

Donations like these make such a huge difference. They help us keep our shelves stocked with essential items for emergency food provisions, while also allowing us to provide tasty, nutritious snacks and drinks for our friends at the Sunday Giving Table.

Every single item sent is one less thing we have to worry about finding, buying and funding ourselves — and that means we can put more of our limited resources towards helping the people who need us most.

Without your kindness, generosity and continued support, none of this would be possible. ❤️

If you’d like to help us continue providing outreach and support to those who need it most in our community, you can do so here:

🛒 Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/registries/gl/guest-view/8OHU3KQ7WDE?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_VMKAT2XJPNC1M4DXQ63

Or, if you’d prefer to make a financial donation:

💗 PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8UFV2W34W4NW6

Thank you, as always, for standing beside us and helping us keep showing up for our community. ❤️

🚐 Another little update on Miss Dolores… ❤️

I phoned today to see if there had been any update since last week, and honestly… I’m not sure whether to laugh, cry or just scream at this point. 😩 For anyone who hasn’t seen the previous updates, here’s where we are.

The current mechanics initially thought Dolores had a DPF problem. They removed the exhaust to investigate, only to discover the DPF had already been removed previously, but the catalytic converter was still there and was completely blocked, along with the exhaust. Thankfully, all of that has now been rectified.

Then they plugged her into the computer to check the fault codes and discovered all of the engine codes had been set to zero. That basically meant there was no protection in place to alert to potential problems that could cause damage to the engine or turbo.

Thankfully, they had a complete file for the exact same van and were able to upload the correct codes, getting everything back to where it should be. 🙏 Unfortunately, all of these issues have resulted in the turbo we had replaced back in February becoming damaged.

Thankfully, that turbo has a one-year warranty, so it was removed and sent back to the previous mechanic for investigation. They requested an oil sample, which was delivered last week.

So, I phoned this morning for an update…

6–8 weeks.

That’s how long I’ve now been told we could be waiting for the oil tests to come back before we even know what happens next. 😭 It genuinely feels like we’ve hit roadblock after roadblock after roadblock trying to get Dolores sorted. At this point, part of me is wondering if they’re just hoping I’ll eventually get fed up and give up.

But I can’t just give up.

Dolores isn’t just a van to me. She is how we get out into the community, transport supplies, reach people who need us, run our outreach and do so much of what Compassionate Cuts exists to do. Without her, everything becomes harder.

Public transport adds at least an hour, often more, onto almost everything I need to do. I’m constantly watching timetables, worrying about whether buses will be early, late or simply not turn up, and knowing that missing one can sometimes mean waiting another hour for the next. It’s exhausting, it’s stressful and, if I’m being completely honest, I’m fed up.

So after today’s update I thought, right… I’ll just rent a car for the next eight weeks and get on with things.

Great idea… until I checked the prices. 🤦‍♀️ The cheapest eight-week rental I can find is around £1,000, and I’d have to collect it from Belfast International Airport. Local rental options? Around £1,500.

At that point I could practically buy another van. 😂😭

And that’s where we are. I’m feeling incredibly frustrated, exhausted and honestly a little lost about what the hell I’m supposed to do next.

I don’t want sympathy. I just wanted to be honest about where things are at, because behind the updates, fundraising and everything else, there’s a very tired person who just wants her bloody van back. ❤️

I miss being able to jump in Dolores and just go. I miss being able to say yes when someone needs us without first having to work out three buses and a prayer.

So for now, I’ll keep chasing, keep pushing and keep hoping that somewhere along this very long, very frustrating road, we finally get some good news.

Come on Dolores… we need you back. 🚐❤️

❤️ A little wishlist stock-up appeal from us… ❤️

We’re not facing too many shortages at the moment, and for that we’re incredibly grateful. But while updating our Amazon wishlist, I noticed lots of our regular essentials are currently on some really good limited-time deals.

So, why not take advantage and see if we can stock ourselves back up? 🥹❤️

We could really use:

🥛 Long-life milk
🍫 Snacks for homeless snack packs & emergency food parcels
🥨 Crisps, biscuits, cereal bars, chocolate & sweets
🍎 Fruit & alternatives — fruit pots, dried fruit etc.
🥣 Ready-to-eat pots — porridge, jelly, rice pudding, custard etc.
🧴 Men’s deodorant

Those little treats might seem small, but they really do matter. Adding something extra to a food parcel can make someone feel remembered, cared about and valued. ❤️

If you’re able to purchase even one little thing, it genuinely helps. Small acts of kindness add up to something huge.

You’ve already helped us completely clear two family wishlists recently, which honestly left me speechless. 🥹

So… can we do it with this one too? Can we get our shelves stocked back up ready for the next person who needs us?

👉 Our Amazon wishlist:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/registries/gl/guest-view/8OHU3KQ7WDE?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_MB263NMCFEBXFBK8X1DN

And a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past few days. ❤️

To those who sent funds towards electric alongside emergency food parcels, and everyone who supported our tent appeal last night — thank you.
Because of you, we were able to purchase two brand-new tents for two of our rough sleepers who desperately needed them. ⛺️❤️

Every appeal makes me nervous that people will be fed up seeing another request for help, but time and time again, you prove me wrong.
You show up. You share. You donate. You encourage us.

And because of that, when someone reaches out needing food, electricity, a tent, toiletries or simply a little dignity and kindness, we’re in a position to help.
I will never take that for granted.

Thank you for helping us keep helping others. ❤️🫶