Maybe you have a room in your house that has recently been freed up because one of your children has left home, or perhaps you’ve moved to a larger property which means you have more space than you had previously. Having a spare room might be a luxury you’ve been longing for, and you might already have plans for how you’ll use the space – perhaps converting it into a home office or a personal gym, but if you don’t have any plans as yet you could use your newfound space to make a difference to others. If you want to use your spare room to make positive change, here are a few ways you can go about it.
Fostering
If you are over 21 years of age and have a spare room, you might be interested in becoming a foster parent. There are currently over 80,000 children in foster homes in the UK: some in long-term foster care, others in short-term or emergency foster care. Foster carers undergo a full assessment to ensure they are suitable to support a child (or group of children) in their own home. This is a rewarding way to use your spare room and it can be life-changing for all involved. If you are interested in finding out more about how to become a foster carer, visit orangegrovefostercare.co.uk. Their supportive team will answer your questions and help you decide if foster caring is for you.
Housing Refugees
People all across the UK opened up their homes to Ukrainian refugees, welcoming individuals and families into their spare rooms. There have been many positive stories of how this community spirit is benefiting society as well as changing people’s lives for the better. Almost 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the UK since the Russian invasion, many staying with host families. Hosts are eligible for a tax-free payment of £350 for up to twelve months.
Charity Craft Room
If your spare room is small or you don’t currently want to invite anyone else into your home, there are alternative ways you can use the space to support others. Why not turn the space into a craft room so you can make items that can be either donated to those in need or sold to raise funds for a charity? There are all sorts of charities who are looking for knitters and many who are also grateful for anyone who can crochet, sew or make do and mend in other ways – use those craft skills for good! The beauty of supporting charities this way is that you can decide to support just one charity that is close to your heart or a variety of different charities – it’s up to you.
However, you decide to use your spare room, enjoy it. Whether you use the space to enhance your standard of living or open it up to those in need, make good use of it and you’ll feel happier as a result.