Philanthropist property developer gives away thousands to cash strapped families amid cost of living squeeze

TJ Atkinson started a cash giveaway business with his nieces that donates money to people in need

TJ (right) with a cash giveaway winner whose bills were soaring after her baby needed to be on a ventilation system

A PHILANTHROPIST property developer is giving away thousands of pounds to struggling families amid the surging cost to live.

TJ Atkinson, 37, set up a business with his nieces that runs a Cash Giveaway Campaign after seeing firsthand how countless people are battling to put food on the table or to fighting to keep the lights on in their houses.

The generous businessman, who is of Nigerian heritage, has over 16,000 followers on social media coaching the Black community on building generational wealth and investing in properties.

“I’ve always been quite big [on helping others]. I’ve grown up in the Christian environment and we’ve always been taught to give away some money to the church and to people in need” he told The Voice. “I’m fortunate enough to have been able to make some money for quite some time, and I’ve been trying to find different avenues to help people.”

Atkinson revealed that a recent encounter with his mother helped to further inspire his altruistic efforts. She told him about a friend who was helping people in need and he gave her £300 to contribute.

FAMILY AFFAIR: TJ started the donation business with his nieces Savannah, 10, and Scarlette, 6, to help families (Picture: Supplied)

The friend then went on to pass the donation around to people she knew. The entrepreneur later got a text from her relaying a story from their pastor about how his generous sum had helped one lady in desperate need.

She described Atkinson’s donation as a “blessing from God” because the lady only had 78p to feed her kids that week.  

He admits he knew the cost of living crisis was taking a toll on people, but didn’t “believe it” when he heard how much this mother had to live off. Atkinson decided to give her a call so he could hear her story for himself. What he heard affected him greatly.

“It touched me [the lady’s plight]. I went for Sunday roast at my brother’s house. I’m always looking for some sort of excuse to talk to them about money. So, I told them about this lovely lady and how she didn’t have money to feed her children.”

TJ’s two young nieces, Savannah, 10, and Scarlette, 6, were so inspired to hear about their uncle’s effort to give back to those who are struggling to make ends meet they asked if they could also send the lady money.

After making a second donation, Atkinson decided to take his cash donations one step further and launched a business aimed at helping those in need.  

“I’m in a position to help some people and I thought let’s see who we can help” he said. “That’s when my niece and I started up this little business and we’re just trying to save the world by helping people where we can.”

“We didn’t know how we would reach people but the first thing I thought of was to post on my social media and say, ‘Hey, myself and Savannah want to give away £2,000 to help people over Christmas’ and I think it just took off.”

The entrepreneur says his new business, Give Tolani which launched in September last year, aims to encourage small businesses to reach new audiences and gain brand exposure by taking part in cash giveaways that will also help those in need.

He says some people couldn’t believe it and thought the business he runs with his nieces was a gimmick. However they were inundated with dozens of messages asking for help from people struggling to buy food or pay their bills.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 47% of adults who pay energy bills said they found it very or somewhat difficult to afford them. 

In October 2022, a survey revealed that 40% of people in the UK were worried about being able to afford food in the next month and 30% said they’d skipped a meal or cut down the size of their meals because they didn’t have enough money to buy food.

Mum-of-three, Anita Soweh, said that the giveaway that Atkinson and his nieces organised has been a “blessing”. 

“I am now able to feed my kids without any hassle. I am eternally grateful for the help I have received. It is heart-warming to know that through such difficult times people are still showing kindness and generosity. It is deeply appreciated,” she said.

Bimbo Adeoye, who also received a donation, said he had been struggling for months to afford basic items like toiletries.

In a message to Atkinson he said: “I’m shaking. I am not sure if you even understand the impact of what you have done.”

GIVING BACK: TJ is a property developer with houses across the UK (Picture: Supplied)

One of their recent winners lived in Blackpool. Atkinson revealed he didn’t know she had a premature child that needed a ventilation system until he went to her house and realised the machine had to be on 24 hours a day which had made her energy bills soar.

Since launching Give Tolani, more than twenty people have benefited from cash giveaways ranging in value from £100 to £500.

Businesses are encouraged to leave a comment on the cash giveaway posts on Atkinson’s Instagram page before one of his nieces selects the winner of the cash prize at random. 

Cash-strapped participants can also recommend someone they believe may need the help by filling out a form on the Give Tolani website. 

As a property developer with houses across the UK Atkinson admits he gets a “flurry of dopamine” now that he is in a position to help others who are struggling.

“I just hope it can help other people as well and inspire them to give” he said. “People messaged me to say that when their business gets off the ground, they are going to give any spare money they can. I believe, from a Christian point of view, if you sow, you will reap. Even if you look at it from any point of view in terms of yin and yang, there has to be a balance. 

“So just do good stuff. It will always show itself back. The kind of narrative I’m trying to tell all my other property investor friends and business people as well is that you can do good business by actually helping other people.”

He adds: “And don’t be afraid to ask for help. That’s probably the best thing.”

To be considered for TJ and his niece’s Cash Giveaway Campaign, visit Give Tolani or head to TJ’s Instagram page @tjalife to leave a comment.

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