The Co-operative Food - Hayling Island, Elm Grove

The charity aims to improve the conditions of life for the inhabitants of hayling island, by providing facilities covering peoples social, educational and welfare. activities include toddler group, blind club, lunch club, sports events, dances and discos and exercise classes. the charity also works closely with volunteers, supports the community and holds fund raising events.

We deliver the National GB Awards, this programme, through non-contact boxing using pad work and punch bags, teaches young boxers how to vent their anger and frustration in a safe environment. The programme also teaches how you can improve your well being and mental health through healthy eating, exercise and having fun. The Boxers learn that with determination and hard work they can succeed they become more confident and have higher self esteem. Through this programme our Boxers are able to make decisions which lead to more and better options in life. We are totally inclusive and we never turn a boxer away, we ask for a donation of £2 but if the Boxer cannot afford this it does not matter. All kit is provided for free, we also provide fruit and water. The most important thing we have learnt since we opened is the importance of being innovative and specifically tailoring our support to the individual needs of each boxer. We encourage our Boxers to work hard to improve their physical fitness, but at the same time as having a fun experience. Many of our young Boxers are anxious, depressed, worried and sad and their personal negative experiences have been exacerbated by the Pandemic and Lockdowns. We want them to have a session with us where they are praised and respected for their efforts, enjoy themselves and taste achievement. Since the Heart of Hayling started three years ago we have had almost 500 children through our door and even during lockdown we tried to support them through social media, oculus VRU with boxing software and in some cases mentoring. Every week 130/150 Boxers attend our Boxing sessions not only from Hayling but also the surrounding areas, Leigh Park, Waterlooville and Emswoth. Our Coaches are drawn from the Police, Hampshire Fire and Rescue, Health Professionals, Teachers and our local community. Our Lead Mentor who is in a wheelchair is a qualified and experienced coach able to support and train young Boxers with physical and mental health challenges. Out of our young Boxers 47% (12+ 66%) fall into the category of disadvantaged students. The National average is 21%. 34% of our Boxers have special educational needs or disabilities, whereas the national average is 12%. Every coach is trained in first aid but we have realised that many young Boxers are carers or frequently left in charge of young children and therefore we now offer certificated first aid emergency training to every Boxer from 12 years up. Young Boxers who know first aid are less traumatised than those youngsters who can only stand and watch someone who needs help, this became very apparent during Covid. When one of our Boxers watched his relative die during a heart attack while he was waiting for an ambulance. We are making a difference and we want to continue, we cannot pay all our running costs as donations reduce with the cost of living crisis but our Boxers need our help more than ever. Without grants we cannot survive.

Hayling Voluntary Services is a registered charity based on Hayling Island and relies on its shop, café and volunteers' fund raising activities to finance the group. It provides volunteer drivers to take people to their medical appointments (GPs, hospitals, clinics, dentists and opticians etc), as well as a befriending service to lonely, housebound people on Hayling. It is also involved with the local veteran community, providing breakfast clubs in its café to prevent social isolation and give them the camaraderie they miss so much once they have left the services, together with lunch clubs for local seniors.