Community Hope

After a successful Stage 1 KEY+ project for Key Group, Community Hope, they joined forces once again to do something kind at Christmas for those less fortunate. With a ton of ideas in mind, the group had to use their negotiation and decision-making skills to settle on their final project idea.

Realising that their local community was facing difficult financial times, the Community Hope group decided to provide a three course Christmas meal on Christmas day for 50 residents who were either experiencing financial difficulty or loneliness and social isolation.

With their idea set, they got to planning. The group searched for information on what items and ingredients they would need to pull off a special treat for all. They negotiated on pricing and pulled together their project budget ready for their pitch to panel where they got a resounding YES!

The hard work started after panel. Community Hope had to purchase their decorations for the day and draft up feedback cards before the event. Not ones to make it easy, they even set themselves an extra challenge to drive gift and present donations for those in need too.

It was soon time for the big event and Community Hope pulled off a festive day that lifted spirits and brought people together at a time of year when people need it most. Those in attendance loved it and the group members have been stopped on the streets to be thanked for how much the meal meant to the community.

Completing the KEY+ Challenge helped to build confidence and support Community Hope to look to their futures. One of the group felt they have unlocked their own personal potential by gaining so many transferable skills and working on their weaker skills too. It has already began to benefit them as a student nurse. Another group member moved into a role as a community support worker and advised that the confidence and skills they have built through their Key projects helped them to thrive in this role, particularly when signposting people to other services. They've also started a volunteer role on a steering group for a mental health support group in their local area.