By Holly Henderson

July saw the 10th anniversary of the charity Hope, started in Hurstpierpoint, which works to reduce stress and isolation amongst families. Hope has now developed five different styles of projects for people to run in their community to support parents who may simply like to talk through a parenting situation or be struggling personally with poor mental health or isolation.

The founder of the charity, Naomi McBain, explained how her faith was her original motive to begin this charity: “Our primary aim is to be a listener, not a counsellor,” she said, “and to ensure that everyone feels valued and heard. The charity has grown organically from leading The Sanctuary in the village. I saw a need in some local families who attended, and I wanted to see if we could do more to help.”

In the early years of Hope, Naomi started with parenting workshops, sensory playtime and the sparkle group which is specifically for mothers who may feel isolated. Now, she has introduced, ‘space for dads’ and drop-in groups. As a registered charity, Hope is run by Naomi and supported by three committed trustees; Rachael Heald, Sarah Emmanuel, and James Allen. There are now over 30 volunteers involved in different aspects of the charity’s work, and together over the ten years they have had 9,204 engagements with parents and families.

Earlier this month, Hope celebrated with a special anniversary party at Court Bushes Community Hub. They reflected on all that has been achieved and listened to stories from families who have been involved with Hope. Funders, volunteers and families came together to acknowledge the charity’s achievements alongside enjoying coffee and a slice of cake. Later on this year, in early September, Hope will be reintroducing a Sparkle group in Hurstpierpoint for mums of any age who would like a supportive small group to belong to. You can find out more information about this group or how you can volunteer with Hope directly from Naomi (naomi@buildinghope.org.uk).