Fifers in isolation to benefit from Hope Box project

Fifers who are struggling with isolation will take delivery of arts and crafts boxes this week as a new project which aims to bring hope and positivity during lockdown is brought to the Kingdom.

Kayleigh Innes (21), who is originally from Kirkcaldy, is working with Dundee-based Front Lounge who launched the Hope Box project at the start of lockdown.

Eager to “give something back” to her hometown and wider communities in Fife, Kayleigh and fellow Hope Box organisers, Stephanie Dulson and James Ajala, are distributing around 150 boxes to Barnardo’s, Cupar Foodbank, YMCA in Cupar, Families First, Fife Women’s Aid, Venture Trust and the YMCA in Kirkcaldy, where Kayleigh herself gained support as a teenager.

Having initially ordered contents to fill 15 boxes for some of the young people in the charity’s network, Front Lounge has gone on to distribute the Hope Box to around 500 individuals throughout Dundee, Fife, Angus and Perthshire.

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Recipients have ranged from individuals and key worker families in council hubs to organisations supporting people with autism, disabilities and mental health challenges.

The boxes are packed with a variety of mixed arts and crafts materials from pens, pastels and paints to canvas, charcoals and disposable cameras, inspirational quotes and a brief to create as much art as possible.

Before lockdown set in, Front Lounge had intended to run monthly Hope Hub events across Scotland, providing a safe place for people affected by mental health challenges. The Hope Box project allows Front Lounge to continue these efforts, bridging isolation through art.

Kayleigh said, “Lockdown has been a tough time for all but, if you struggle with your mental health, it has been incredibly hard and could continue to be for some time.

“Having struggled with my own mental health challenges over the years, I wanted to give something back to those in the same boat, and anyone else feeling lonely, disengaged or demotivated during lockdown.

“The YMCA was a welcoming place for me to hang out as a teenager and made a huge difference to me so I was particularly keen to give them a supply of boxes.

“As we’ve seen already, through the 500 boxes already distributed, the Hope Box really does what it says on the tin – it gives hope and brings people together, sharing stories and pictures of what they’re making. We can’t wait to bring some fun and positivity to people who are struggling most, and to see what they create in the process!”

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