Big things are happening for our first Big Give Christmas Challenge
We’re very excited to be part of this year's Big Give Christmas Challenge with Hampshire Cricket Foundation as our champion funder. As a local charity and membership club for adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity with humble beginnings as a Friday Night Club, being selected by Hampshire Cricket Foundation is a huge sign for continued growth and development for Key to joy.
Having brought so much joy to our members through a range of life-enhancing activities, we’ve outgrown its small, shared venue and needs a larger venue to enhance member experience and enable us to support more adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity. With the generous support of the Hampshire Cricket Foundation, every donation made during the Big Give Christmas Challenge will be matched, doubling the impact of every single donation. This means, if we reach the £8,750 fundraising target on the Big Give platform between 3-10 December, matched funds raised would be £17,500 toward our home from home campaign. While it’s a huge undertaking for us as a local independent charity more used to raising funds through raffles and local community events, we’re determined to step up to the challenge and make double the difference. Charity Manager at Key to Joy Michaela Owens said:
“There is so much potential for us to reach more adults with learning difficulties in the Fareham and Gosport boroughs that are isolated and need our support. Being part of such a huge nationwide campaign is such a big step for our charity, which started its roots as a Friday Night Charity. We’re incredibly excited to have Hampshire Cricket Foundation as our champion funder. With their generous support, all funds raised during the Big Give Christmas Challenge will be matched, doubling the impact of every single donation.”
Head of Customer Experience at Hampshire Cricket Foundation, Greig Stewart added:
“Hampshire Cricket Foundation is passionate about supporting small, independent charities. We are looking forward to seeing this brilliant charity grow and it is an absolute pleasure to be part of their journey, through the Big Give.”
We have three core activities running through the Big Give campaign period from 3rd to 10th December:
Tues 3rd, Weds 4th and Mon 9th Dec - Indoor sponsored rowing from Gosport to Isle of Wight
Sat 7th Dec from 10am-1pm: Fareham Town Christmas Carols singing and signing
Sun 8th Dec from 6.30pm: Charity comedy night at Fareham Social Club
The comedy night, Funny Minds (don’t think alike), is particularly exciting with an excellent lineup that are predominantly neurodivergent and 100 percent funny, including; Paul McCaffrey (BBC Radio 2), Joe Wells (The Neurodivergent Podcast), Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer and Sunjai Arif. Our neurodivergent MC for the night is local comedian, Emma Ashley-King who is pleased to be supporting a cause close to her heart. She said:
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be MCing Key to joy’s comedy night. Not only will it be a great night full of laughter, thanks to the fantastic comedy talent appearing, but we’ll also be raising funds for neurodiverse adults and those with learning difficulties. As a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and dyspraxia later in life, I understand how challenging things can be.”
The Fareham Social Club have been incredibly supportive, sharing the event with their members both at the club and across their digital channels. Club Secretary at Fareham Social Club shared her thoughts on the upcoming comedy night, she said:
"At Fareham Social Club we absolutely love to support the local community. We can't wait to host what is set to be a top-quality comedy night to raise funds for a charity that brings joy to so many adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity in Fareham and Gosport."
Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator at Key to joy, Jennifer Le Roux, said:
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to bring all of the content and marketing skills I’ve built over the years with corporates to the fore for a good cause. As an ADHD woman who has faced adversity in many forms, I get an incredible sense of purpose and reward in my role and the comedy night is a first step toward more wonderful things we can do to raise awareness and reach more adults with the right support and funding channels.”
Many adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity face barriers to social inclusion and access to vital services. At Key to Joy, we provide a safe space where adults with mild to moderate learning difficulties and neurodiversity can thrive, develop skills, and build meaningful connections through a range of life-enhancing activities. A larger premises with adequate space, inside and out, would enable more flexible access for existing Key to joy members and attract more adults with learning difficulties in Fareham and Gosport who need our support. Further space will also enable us to host events, outreach to the community and expand the Key to joy awards scheme.
We believe that everyone deserves the chance to thrive and contribute to their community. You can learn more about our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign or check out the full line-up and information for our comedy night here. You can also watch our full campaign video below:
Save the dates
Please make a note of the upcoming events and Big Give campaign dates in your diary so you can help us make double the difference and reach out target.
3-10 Dec: Big Give Challenge - online donations live
3-10 Dec: Sponsored Rowing – Follow us @keytojoycharity for updates
Sat 7th Dec: Christmas Choir – Fareham Town Performance Podium
Sun 8th Dec: Comedy Night – Funny Minds (don’t think alike) - Fareham Social Club
Please share this blog post with friends, loved ones and colleagues to help us get much-needed support for the campaign and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions via jen@keytojoy.org.