Boost to Winter Appeal in memory of our volunteer Gaia Young

We have received an incredible boost to our Winter Appeal in loving memory of our Taskforce volunteer Gaia Young. Gaia’s mother, Dorit Young has generously given a £4,000 donation to our Winter Appeal.

Thanks to Dorit and our other wonderful donors, we have hit 40% of target on the appeal in just two days.

The Winter Appeal will be used to fund food, cosy activities at the museum, emergency shelter, respite accommodation, move in kits for if people get housed and supplies.

As well as supporting a local organisation, Ms Young’s donation is a way to honour the legacy of her daughter, Gaia Young, who volunteered with the Museum of Homelessness before she died of a still unexplained brain condition hours after being admitted to University College Hospital London in July 2021, aged 25.

Museum director Jess Turtle said: “It is our honour to receive this donation in memory of Gaia.

“We started this community work properly in the pandemic and she was on our original Homeless Taskforce. We were out on the streets every day in early lockdown, 56 days in a row.

“She must have made hundreds of cheese and pickle sandwiches. We’d meet every day, make these sandwiches and take them out.

Gaia at the taskforce hub with Jess and Matt Turtle from MoH in 2020

“If Gaia was still with us, she would be out on the streets ensuring that people in every corner of the borough have what they need.”

Ms Young told the Islington Tribune it was a “pleasure” to sign a cheque when you “know it will be used to save lives”.

She added: “The plan is to support people who have the hardest lives, but also in memory of Gaia.”

• Ms Young’s campaign for answers about why and how Gaia died can be found at truthforgaia.com
• Support the Museum of Homelessness at https://tinyurl.com/3uktutzh

You can read the full story in the Islington Tribune here