OUR STORY
With the support of generous donors like you, The Lighthouse Project Spalding has grown and grown.
Over the years this has led to having many different areas to the project.
The one thing that unites them all is giving back power in life to young people who have had it taken from them.
We’d love to talk you through our timeline of how we have grown to support so many people across Spalding…
2006
It all started with Home House…
Our founder Jenny was volunteering for a youth group and saw young people living in totally unsuitable conditions with no support and no way out.
So she bought a house to provide vulnerable young people somewhere safe and supported to live while they get back on their feet.
2007
A year later, Lime House was founded…
We were approached by the council to help homeless young people with babies. Home House wasn’t quite the right fit, so we opened a new house with a family feel to help young mums learn to raise their children in a safe environment.
2009
Along came Shining Stars!
To give our Mums somewhere to meet other parents and build relationships in the community, we started Shining Stars, our lively parent and child group run by our qualified Nursery Nurse and supported by volunteers.
Shining Stars has grown and grown and has become really popular in the local community. It now provides support for our families and those around Spalding too!
2012
Then came Karis House…
For many young women, finding adequate support for their mental health can be challenging. We wanted to give these young women another option, so we created Karis House: a home to give young women hope and the opportunity to heal.
This was a vision of ours for a long time. Thanks to the generous support of our community, we were able to make this vision a reality and have supported change in many lives since its opening.
2014
The shop opens…
We wondered – how can we continue to support our young people with community outreach, and support the charity itself?
The answer – open a shop!
It helps young people gain work experience, learn skills and receive references for when they’re ready to move on and it serves the local community by offering good quality, low cost items – and a more sustainable way to shop!
2015
We open the Recycle Store!
The shop was so successful we decided to open up a second store just for furniture with a van to do pick-ups and deliveries.
This gives more opportunities for our young people to gain work experience, and we help to upcycle furniture and offer it at reasonable prices helping the environment and the local community.
2017
Karis Crafts launches!
The students of Karis House found creativity to be a positive outlet in their time with us. They were so talented and were producing so much that they decided to offer their crafts for sale.
As their confidence grew, we started a website and did local craft fairs to spread the word. Karis Crafts continues to be incredibly successful and we could not be more proud of our students for launching and developing it from the beginning.
20??
The Garden Party
The Lighthouse Project Spalding has hosted a garden party for many years now. So many in fact, that no one can quite remember when we started!
Over time it has grown to include games, quizzes, and support from local businesses, bringing people from all walks of life together and becoming a mainstay in the community.
2020
The Virtual Garden Party
To bring everyone together even when we all had to stay apart due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we organised a Virtual Garden Party!
We had a virtual garden with virtual games and even a virtual crafts stall! Everyone had so much fun talking to friends, meeting new people – and trying their hand at some virtual marble tipping.
2006
It all started with Home House…
Our founder Jenny was volunteering for a youth group and saw young people living in totally unsuitable conditions with no support and no way out.
So she bought a house to provide vulnerable young people somewhere safe and supported to live while they get back on their feet.
A year later, Lime House was founded…
We were approached by the council to help homeless young people with babies. Home House wasn’t quite the right fit, so we opened a new house with a family feel to help young mums learn to raise their children in a safe environment.
2007
2009
Along came Shining Stars!
To give our Mums somewhere to meet other parents and build relationships in the community, we started Shining Stars, our lively parent and child group run by our qualified Nursery Nurse and supported by volunteers.
Shining Stars has grown and grown and has become really popular in the local community. It now provides support for our families and those around Spalding too!
Then came Karis House…
For many young women, finding adequate support for their mental health can be challenging. We wanted to give these young women another option, so we created Karis House: a home to give young women hope and the opportunity to heal.
This was a vision of ours for a long time. Thanks to the generous support of our community, we were able to make this vision a reality and have supported change in many lives since its opening.
2012
2014
The shop opens…
We wondered – how can we continue to support our young people with community outreach, and support the charity itself?
The answer – open a shop!
It helps young people gain work experience, learn skills and receive references for when they’re ready to move on and it serves the local community by offering good quality, low cost items – and a more sustainable way to shop!
We open the Furniture Recycle Store!
The shop was so successful we decided to open up a second store just for furniture with a van to do pick-ups and deliveries.
This gives more opportunities for our young people to gain work experience, and we help to upcycle furniture and offer it at reasonable prices helping the environment and the local community.
2015
2017
Karis Crafts launches!
The students of Karis House found creativity to be a positive outlet in their time with us. They were so talented and were producing so much that they decided to offer their crafts for sale.
As their confidence grew, we started a website and did local craft fairs to spread the word. Karis Crafts continues to be incredibly successful and we could not be more proud of our students for launching and developing it from the beginning.
The Garden Party
The Lighthouse Project Spalding has hosted a garden party for many years now. So many in fact, that no one can quite remember when we started!
Over time it has grown to include games, quizzes, and support from local businesses, bringing people from all walks of life together and becoming a mainstay in the community.
20??
2020
The Virtual Garden Party
To bring everyone together even when we all had to stay apart due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we organised a Virtual Garden Party!
We had a virtual garden with virtual games and even a virtual crafts stall! Everyone had so much fun talking to friends, meeting new people – and trying their hand at some virtual marble tipping.
That’s our story up to now, but The Lighthouse Project Spalding continues to grow.
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