As Mental Health Awareness Week is marked and the Thy Kingdom Come movement is recognised across the nation I am writing to you to invite you to stay connected and to support Spaces of Hope.

Many of you know me. I’m Matthew. Some of you know my story.

My story is a past, present and future struggle for connection. I have experienced unemployment; deal with poor health and wellbeing; have worked multiple minimum wage jobs; volunteered for local churches and charities; applied myself to designing and delivering bespoke project work and undertaken further study and training because my first degree was simply not enough to connect with the working world. I have experienced first-hand the impact of the shifting political-economic and social terrain that we are trying to build upon and the way that it can shape our lives. I have worked as a Community Development Worker within the Diocese of Chester; I have conducted freelance work in Cheshire West and Stockport; I am a Researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London; I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and I am now the Director of Spaces of Hope.

Your story? For the first time in history we have a generation of people who are expected to flourish to a lesser extent than their parents did. The impact of poor mental health is one that we are learning more about all the time. Things that were previously taken for granted in our society are under question as we seek a new settlement in an increasingly uncertain time. The unseen parts of our lives are being brought to light and whilst we are learning how to express these, we are also seeking antidotes to an increasing number of ills. But what is the antidote?

Connection.

Connection is embracing difference and building resilient relationships across our society. Connection is linking the local to the global, the personal to the professional, the practical to the spiritual and ensuring that the beliefs and values at the root of our organisation are in the fruit of our organisation. Connection is providing projects, products and services that transform our communities.

Spaces of Hope are missional, outward facing and partnership driven expressions of service to each other that shape our public space. Spaces of Hope connect us by, embracing our differences, redefining our organisations, connecting our community projects, equipping our activists and practitioners, shaping our strategies, realising health benefits from root to fruit, for all in our communities, offering new learning and maybe most significantly, connecting with and supporting future generations.

Spaces of Hope are my story. Make them your story too.

Stay connected.

Connect with and support our growing number of projects. There is a specific project behind each of the ways Spaces of Hope connects us. Your support will allow these projects to grow, from setting deep roots to delivering rich and resilient fruits.

If you want to know more, contact matthew@spacesofhope.co.uk or join us on twitter @SpacesofHope or visit our website

Thank you and we look forward to connecting with you,

Matthew