Celebrating a year of connection, growth and new beginnings

As we reflect on 2025, it’s clear that this has been one of the most transformative years in Key to Joy’s journey. From welcoming new members to settling into our new venue, every step has strengthened our mission to support adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity through meaningful connection, creativity and community.

A New Venue, A New Chapter

Members faces say it all…..

One of the biggest highlights of the year was moving into our new home at Fareham Hockey Club. This space has already become a warm, welcoming environment where our members can relax, socialise and take part in a wide range of activities. The move has allowed us to partner up with Fareham Hockey Club, expand our timetable, introduce new sessions and create a true *home from home* for everyone who walks through our doors.

Growing Membership & Stronger Community

Our community has continued to grow throughout 2025, with new members joining us and quickly becoming part of the Key to Joy family. We’ve seen confidence blossom, friendships form and countless moments of joy shared across our sessions. Whether it’s crafts, games, wellbeing activities or offsite adventures, every day has brought something special.

Events that helped make the year shine

This year has been filled with memorable moments that brought our members, carers, volunteers and supporters together. Each event added something special to our community and helped make the year truly shine.

One of our proudest highlights came at the beginning of the year was celebrating member’s success through the presentation of certificates for their hard work towards the Big Give campaign that saw us raise £4,375. Recognising achievements like this is at the heart of what we do, and it was wonderful to see their dedication acknowledged.

We also enjoyed working in collaboration with Hampshire County Council, taking part in a fantastic mix of Healthy Eating sessions, Arts activities and Multi‑Sports. These opportunities gave our members the chance to learn new skills, stay active and explore their creativity in a supportive environment.

Thanks to the funds raised through our craft sales, we were able to treat members to a lovely free day trip to Hamble, offering them a refreshing change of scenery and a chance to enjoy time together by the water.

Two groups of members also had the chance to experience an exciting sailing trip, hosted by Sailing Therapy, creating unforgettable memories and giving many their first taste of life on the water.

Our Summer Fair brought even more joy, filling the day with sunshine, laughter and community spirit as everyone came together to celebrate. We were thrilled to raise £1,634.09 from this event.

A particularly special moment this year was seeing Mark, one of our much‑valued members, receive a community award from the Mayor of Fareham. His ongoing dedication to spreading the word about Key to Joy is extraordinary, and this recognition was truly well deserved.

We rounded off the year with a successful Christmas craft stall at Tesco, where our handmade creations raised an impressive £170.83, every penny helping to support future activities for our members. Including our Christmas raffle that generated £190.

Stand out activities for our members

2025 was full of creativity, celebration and community spirit at Key to Joy. Our Singing and Signing activity in Fareham Town Centre , along with a successful Easter Raffle, helped raise an incredible £1,187 to go towards the Home from Home campaign.

In June we held a Plant Sale, our members really enjoyed potting the plants. Thanks to a kind member of the public who donated plant pots and Garson’s for the flowers, we were able to add another £85.50 to our fundraising efforts.

Members also took great pride in hosting a car wash in collaboration with Asda and Co‑op, raising £215. It was a rewarding day that gave them a real sense of achievement and a chance to connect more deeply with the local community.

Creativity continued to flourish throughout the year as members explored new art techniques and crafts, allowing them to create various items that were added to craft stall sales.

Our members embraced the season with a fun-filled Halloween Party which brought everyone together for costumes, laughter and a all round fun filled day.

We hosted a Children in Need afternoon which was another highlight, especially when Pudsey himself made a surprise appearance and together we raised over £90 for a brilliant cause.

As always, Christmas brought a special kind of magic to Key to Joy. Throughout December, members enjoyed festive activities, crafts and gatherings, all leading up to our sparkling Christmas Ball, a night filled with joy, dancing and community spirit.

During November and December some of our members have started to build confidence and new skills through assisting the listing of donated items on Vinted, learning digital skills and playing an active role in raising funds for future activities.

Each event and activity has helped strengthen the sense of belonging that sits at the heart of Key to Joy.

Thank you to our volunteers and supporters!

Our volunteers and supporters have played an essential role in making 2025 such a successful year. Whether helping at sessions, running activities, donating resources or spreading the word, your support has made a real and lasting impact. We are deeply grateful for everything you do.

*Captured are some of the Eaton staff members during their time volunteering with us*

Special Thanks goes to:

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Masonic for their donations given across the year
Eaton for volunteering their time to help with activities including cooking the Christmas dinner for 49 people, providing the funds to purchase a small gift for each member, and donation of a 7ft Christmas Tree
Specsavers for selecting us as their charity of the year and their continued support to raise valuable funds and provide donations.
Co-op for working in collaboration with us to not only raise funds through their grant scheme but also to raise the awareness of our charity
Tesco for including Key to Joy in their blue token scheme through which we received £1000 (to put towards The Members Christmas Ball) and having us in store to fund raise through bucket collections and craft stalls
Portsmouth Football Club for donating a signed football, which raised over £600 at Summer Fayre
Stewart’s for donating vouchers to support our summer Fayre raffle
The Kings Theatre for providing tickets for the Christmas Panto which were included at our summer Fayre
Asda for their continued support throughout the year
Rowans Hospice for including us in their annual Christmas Tree collection, donating a fantastic 15% of their total fundraising amount
Solent Renegades Car Club for bring their classic cars to our annual summer fayre
Fareham Rotatory Club for donating the large easter egg we raffled at Easter

Looking Ahead in 2026

With a new venue, a growing community, and an exciting year on the horizon, we’re stepping into 2026 with renewed enthusiasm and purpose. Key to Joy has always been about creating a warm, empowering space where adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity can thrive and this year, we’re taking that mission even further.

As our community continues to grow, so do the opportunities we’re able to offer. We’re looking forward to expanding our activities, welcoming new members, and building even more moments of joy, creativity, and connection.

One of our biggest milestones is just around the corner. From 5th February 2026, we’ll be opening our doors for a fourth day of activities each week, giving our members even more chances to learn new skills, build friendships, and take part in the sessions they love.

2026 is shaping up to be a year of growth, possibility, and celebration and we can’t wait to share every step of the journey with you.

A final Word

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey this year, members, carers, families, volunteers, trustees and supporters. Together, we’ve made 2025 a year filled with joy, connection and progress.

Key to Joy – looking back over 2025