I am pleased to announce that July’s designated non-profit organisation is The Brick. My share of the monthly profit from book sales of The Adventures of an Introvert will be donated to this good cause.

The Brick is a small project that delivers big results for the community it serves. Based in Wigan, it offers services to people who are homeless, in poverty or facing debt crisis.

COVID-19 has increased the problem of poverty, with the organisation reporting a 290% increase in the demand for food parcels and a 73% decrease in food donations in the weeks following the national lockdown. The increased demand for food banks in the last decade demonstrates the level of financial inequality that exists in a wealthy country such as the United Kingdom.

One of the few positives to have come out of the pandemic has been that the government has finally taken significant action to combat homelessness. Temporary accommodation has been provided for rough sleepers across the country, which has demonstrated that homelessness could be more or less eradicated instantly if our society really had the appetite to do so. Unfortunately, the current provisions are not indefinite, so organisations like The Brick will be needed more than ever.

As with all forms of inequality and suffering, poverty can be defeated if we all work together and show compassion for our fellow human beings.

You can make a donation or find out about the good work that they do here:

http://www.thebrick.org.uk/#

Thank you to everyone who bought a copy of The Adventures of an Introvert in June. As promised, my share of the monthly profit has been donated to Versus Arthritis.

There are more than 10 million people in the United Kingdom who suffer from arthritis or other similar conditions that affect the joints. Although commonly associated with elderly people, arthritis affects peoples of all ages, including children. Volunteers, researchers and healthcare professionals work together to combat such problems at Versus Arthritis.

You can read more about arthritis or make a donation here:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/