Good morning. Welcome back to Survival Guide.

In this week’s newsletter, we head to Hull where a slightly mad-looking bus is out on the streets using hip-hop to fight poverty and protect children from county lines. It’s a little bit of hope for your Thursday morning.

We also meet single mum Kelly who has a powerful message for parents about the importance of seeking help if you need it. You are far from alone if you are struggling in the cost of living crisis, and there is support out there.

Read to the end of the newsletter for our big round-up of advice on getting help in the cost of living crisis…

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Kelly’s story: ‘Don't suffer in silence’

Kelly’s little boy had to sleep on a mattress on the floor because she could not afford to buy him a bed. He climbed in alongside her when he couldn’t sleep but she was breastfeeding her baby, so they all had a disturbed night. Exhaustion followed.

“I would sleep on the sofa just so the boys could get that little bit of extra sleep and bring the baby next to me in the living room. Sleeping on the sofa wasn’t good for my back,” she says, “but if it meant everyone getting a bit of extra sleep, then so be it.”

Kelly and her three children live together in a one-bedroom flat in Birmingham. “I make sacrifices all the time,” she says. “I probably only eat every two days so my children can be fed.”

Research from children’s charity Barnardo’s has found that families in crisis are having to prioritise basics like food, heating and electricity over replacing mouldy bedding or fixing a broken bed.

Kelly’s kids’ school connected her to a scheme which provides beds and bedding. “I got all emotional,” she says. “There’s no way I would have been able to afford that. Being a single mom of three kids, money’s really tight. I was overwhelmed. I’m so grateful.”

Kelly is keen to speak out to encourage others to ask for help if they need it. “I accept the help nowadays,” she says. “I don’t suffer in silence.”

Read Kelly’s story here and read to the end of the newsletter for advice on getting help.

In case you missed it

It’s a cost of loving crisis: Why young people are getting into thousands in debt looking for love. People are being driven into debt because of the pressures to spend on dating and relationships, new research. Read about it.

‘Everything is set up for families’: The true cost of being single in a cost of living crisis. Bills can mount up quicker if you’ve chosen to go it alone rather than with a partner. Here’s the story.

No-fault evictions will be banned by next election, Michael Gove promises: ‘We will have outlawed it’. The housing secretary hit back at speculation the Renters Reform Bill will fail to pass by the general election. Read more.

Councils need millions to prevent bankruptcy due to rising cost of homelessness: ‘It’s a national crisis’. Eastbourne and Medway Councils have asked the government for help balancing the books this week because of temporary accommodation costs. Get the story.

Cost of living crisis sees more and more children seeking mental health help: ‘I feel like a burden’. A record half a million children and young people were referred to mental health services last year as the cost of living crisis took its toll. Read about it.

Tens of thousands call on DWP to reinstate ‘lifeline’ cost of living payment for disabled people. Disabled people have been disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis – but help has been limited. Find out more.

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Beats Bus: How a Hull group is using hip-hop to fight poverty and protect young people from gangs

The streets of Hull are home to a bright, brilliant and mad-looking truck known as Beats Bus. It is painted with giant aliens and a snarling mouth with a gold tooth and a DJ playing his set. 

Open the doors and you’ll discover that the bus is (quite miraculously) a mobile recording studio, where young people learn to create hip-hop songs, play around with beats and experience the joy of music. As it sings out, people are drawn to Beats Bus and join for a dance.

But what’s even better is that it is a grassroots non-profit designed to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those living in poverty and at risk of criminal exploitation by county lines. Beats Bus is using the power of music to change lives.

Read about Beats Bus Records here.

Saving those coins: Where to get cost of living help

It’s vital that people claim the support they are entitled to in the cost of living crisis.

It might feel difficult to talk about your money struggles or you might feel that there are others worse off who are more deserving but, as Kelly says, it’s so important to reach out for help rather than suffering in silence.

There’s benefits, free school meals, food banks, charitable grants, debt advice services, student finance help, support to pay for childcare and rent, energy grants and so much more. We’ve got a mammoth round-up here.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. If there’s anything you think we should add, let me know by getting in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com