Where were you ten years ago?
For Louise Reed, ten years ago marked the start of a mission of community and togetherness that today has become the well‑respected Brighouse charity Focus4Hope.
In 2015, a photograph of a two‑year‑old Syrian toddler, Alan Kurdi, made global headlines and brought the European refugee crisis into sharp focus. Hearing his story, Louise, then a mother of two young children, was moved to act. She rallied friends and colleagues to raise money and deliver essential goods to refugees and asylum seekers in Calais, France.
“That picture shook me,” Louise says. “I couldn’t just watch. I got friends together, we raised what we could, and we went to help. It was meant to be for people far away, but it also opened my eyes to the need on our own doorstep.”
Louise became increasingly aware of local need, realising there was just as much hardship a few miles down the road as there was in Calais. Focus4Hope was established as a community group in September 2016.
Soon Louise and a team of just 12 volunteers were going out monthly across Leeds, offering outreach support, hot drinks, meals and care packages donated by local businesses to people sleeping rough. Within less than a year, the demand had grown, and the team increased visits from monthly to fortnightly, building meaningful relationships with more than 100 individuals.
The community group joined the Leeds Homeless Charter when it launched in 2019, bringing together VCSE groups, the local authority and people with lived experience to agree standards for how organisations should work with people on the streets. Teaming up with local businesses such as Town Hall Dental, Focus4Hope helped provide oral healthcare and other services that improve dignity and give people a fair chance to better their lives.
“Our aim has always been to offer practical help and real opportunities, whether that’s a dental appointment, a hot meal, or someone to listen,” explains Louise.
Focus4Hope has always been keen to support the homeless, the elderly and the vulnerable. Knowing that Christmas can be particularly hard for those without family nearby, the volunteers decided to host a Christmas celebration. To raise funds, they climbed and abseiled a 100‑ft wall at ROKT Foundation in October 2017. Their crowdfunding campaign exceeded the initial £500 target, and the seniors’ Christmas party was a huge success. The team took a personal approach, visiting isolated residents to invite them to an afternoon of food, games and gifts.
That Christmas party has become a much‑loved annual tradition and has grown to include a reverse advent calendar campaign to create Christmas food hampers for those in need and pledges to buy gifts for children in difficult situations.
After several successful years of outreach and community events, the group set its sights higher and began fundraising for a community minibus. The minibus would allow them to tackle isolation in new ways, taking seniors and vulnerable people on day trips. To raise the astonishing £20,000 needed, volunteers did a sponsored skydive, joined by West Yorkshire radio presenter Danny Mylo, and smashed the target. The minibus became reality.
Then came March 2020 and the first UK lockdown. Restrictions meant no day trips, no events and no outreach services, a devastating blow for the 150+ seniors who relied on Focus4Hope for companionship, many of whom had no close family. Louise knew they had to act to keep people safe, secure and connected at home.
She looked for grant funding, called an emergency meeting with businesses, volunteers and friends, and together they set up a free food bank and delivery service. Food parcels, prescriptions and regular welfare checks were delivered to people shielding or isolated at home. An army of volunteers stepped in to support their community, and by November 2020 Focus4Hope had become a registered charity.
The food bank continued to serve the community for free until February 2023, when it moved to a fortnightly social supermarket model in partnership with the FoodSavers Network. The social supermarket offers high‑quality fresh and store‑cupboard staples for a low membership fee, with a percentage of that fee saved into a Credit Union account. The scheme aims to reduce dependency on emergency food provision by combining low‑cost food with the opportunity to save.
At the same time, the charity opened Hub4Hope and Replenish, a preloved boutique that turns clothes into kindness; every penny raised in store funds Focus4Hope’s work while the Hub offers a safe drop‑in space for support, information, advice or simply a friendly chat.
In partnership with Money Buddies, Focus4Hope runs budgeting courses and offers debt advice to equip people with essential money‑management skills, helping to reduce reliance on emergency support during the cost‑of‑living crisis. The charity has also become a community anchor, working with the Lower Valley Primary Care Network and social prescribers to connect local health services, social care and voluntary groups for a joined‑up approach to wellbeing. As well as partnering with other local organisations like Recovery Steps, Healthy Minds and Ison Harrison Solicitors to further support people with alcohol and substance misuse, mental health and family law needs.
Every Thursday, the Hub hosts a Community Lunch, where members can enjoy a low-cost freshly prepared two‑course meal, a good brew and company. The Hub also serves as Calderdale’s Centre for Warmth, raising awareness of energy‑efficiency measures to help reduce fuel poverty, thanks to funding from Northern Gas Networks.
Focus4Hope’s achievements are the result of hundreds of volunteer hours and strong local partnerships. From street outreach to the social supermarket, from minibus trips to Christmas parties, the charity has consistently focused on dignity, connection and practical help.
“None of this would be possible without our volunteers and partners,” Louise says. “Every cup of tea, every parcel, every conversation matters.”
As Focus4Hope celebrates 10 years, the charity is grateful for the support that has made its work possible. In particular, from the Community Foundation for Calderdale, whose ongoing support has helped Focus4Hope reach more people and sustain its vital services.
Looking ahead, the charity remains determined to respond to local need with compassion and creativity, strengthening partnerships and continuing to develop services that help people move from crisis to stability.
“We’ll keep listening, learning and showing up,” Louise promises.
Focus4Hope marks its tenth birthday with gratitude to volunteers, partner organisations, local businesses and everyone who has donated time, money or goods. Thank you for being part of this journey.
