News reports and social media feeds can often make it feel like the UK is more divided than ever. The voices of those who spread hate and seek to divide communities can seem loud, but they ignore the millions of actions which spread hope and kindness every day, and show what is possible when we come together to make positive change happen.
From 13-20 May, A Million Acts of Hope will bring together all these everyday acts of hope and shine a light on the people and communities making them happen. It’s a national initiative being led by community and faith groups, and charities big and small. The Baptist Union, Methodist Church, and United Reformed Church have all joined up.
Across Wales, Scotland and England, church congregations, community groups, and projects show up for people in their neighbourhoods every day. They offer support for parents, refugees and asylum seekers, young people, and older people. They host warm spaces, shared meals, community gardens, and activities that promote wellbeing and enable people to have better lives. Our communities are full of hope and care.
As part of the national A Million Acts of Hope week of action, we want to celebrate and share these acts of care, kindness and connection. It’s not about doing something extra, but telling these stories that too often go untold, and reminding people that there is far more that connects us than divides us.
“In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you, and do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15)
Your church can get involved in a variety of ways:
Share a picture: Share photos or videos capturing some of the many acts of hope that you are involved with in your neighbourhood. With the permission of those featured, simply take a nice, clear photo or a short video (less than 10 seconds is fine), and send it to hello@jpit.uk, or put it on social media and tag our accounts. Please include the name of your church, group or project, location, and what is being highlighted. We’ll share these on social media through the week. You could also send it to your local newspaper.
Spell out the word hope: As anoptional addition, could some people in your photo be holding letters that spell ‘HOPE’ or could the word ‘HOPE’ feature somewhere else in your photo or video?
Create a ‘hope wall’: Create opportunities to discuss what people hope for locally, or what gives them hope. Invite people to add messages to a wall of hope somewhere visible in the community.
Pray with hope: Focus on hope in a service or prayer event. This could tie in with Christian Aid Week (10-16 May) which focuses on the work being carried out by its partner Beacon of Hope in Nairobi, Kenya. Free worship resources are available to download.
Host a hopeful event: Celebrate volunteers, put on a community celebration, or run a nature walk or litter pick. There are lots of ideas and resources on the A Million Acts of Hope Community Hub.