Public Health approached Catalyst along with other Surrey charities on a modest initiative around HOPE (Honouring Opportunity and Possibility for Everyone).
Catalyst is a non-profit organisation working with people to support their physical and mental wellbeing, promoting collective wellness for Surrey residents, including its employees. With a particular focus on the broader determinants of health (things like housing, jobs, and education).
Our work supports population health to enhance physical and mental health outcomes, increase wellbeing, and minimise health inequalities by promoting inclusivity throughout the County. Our employees operate in accordance with our principles of kindness, integrity, and commitment to support the provision of Catalyst services.
A team of staff worked together on this project, and put together an amazing campaign, which included the great idea of crocheted butterflies, where people can leave messages of HOPE linked to our website (https://catalystsupport.org.uk/butterflies-for-hope/). The project has reached local, national, and international publicity which optimised the lovely story of bringing HOPE to people and how we can support wellness together.
This project has involved many collaborations, including the 6th Woking Rangers who crocheted the butterflies, and has benefited our clients’ wellness by involving clients, staff and members of their families in the crotchet process. After seeing our butterflies for HOPE, a member of the public created a t-shirt and sweatshirt, with proceeds being donated to Catalyst to help us reach people within our communities further.
We held an exhibition as part of the project, over the weekend of 23rd and 24th June. The charity was able to demonstrate how one small initiative can honour our strategy of supporting wellness together and motivate additional projects to share their work.
Our clients requested they participate actively in the exhibition and share how HOPE has improved their health and wellbeing and how they were inspired by the project. The initiative has helped staff better understand the challenges and opportunities people face, and by holding the exhibition in our community’s (Guildford town centre) brought the community together over the June weekend.
The narrative of HOPE is not just about the butterflies for HOPE (#butterflies4hopesurrey) but included a trip to Southall by Shifa, who empower Asian women to support their wellbeing, offered guided History Walks, young parents’ group who took the butterflies to Wisley for members of the public to leave messages of HOPE. The LGBT group created a jigsaw entitled Paradox and Blossoms LGBT and the 6TH Woking Rangers created artwork and a client developed kaleidoscopes to help him with his mental wellbeing.
Butterflies for HOPE, leave your message of HOPE here: https://catalystsupport.org.uk/butterflies-for-hope/
#butterflies4hopesurrey