2025: A Year in Review

13 Dec

Finding Our Forever Home

We began 2025 with a big question: Where do we go from here?
Our much-loved home at New Life could no longer hold the growing community we had built together. After months of searching, we found Boothley Road, a true diamond in the rough that would soon become our forever home.

Yes, it needed work (a lot of work). But with our incredible volunteers and wider community rolling up their sleeves, Boothley Road was transformed. Broken lights were fixed, skylights repaired, and life was breathed back into every corner of the building.

Thanks to generous benefactors who shared our vision, Boothley Road has gone from a cold, empty space to a bright, welcoming community hub. Our doors are now open to everyone, no questions asked.

Growing to Meet the Need

The numbers told a powerful story. At the end of 2024, we were supporting around 80 people each night. By 2025, that number had more than doubled to 170 at Boothley Road alone. The message was unmistakable: our community needed us more than ever.

This rapid growth demanded change. Behind the scenes, our Trustees worked tirelessly to secure Helping Hearts’ future, with team members regularly contributing more than 20 hours a week to keep pace with demand.

After careful consideration, it became clear that strategic leadership was essential to scale sustainably, building partnerships, unlocking funding opportunities, and ensuring long-term impact. Andrew, our co-founder and Chair of Trustees, stepped forward to take on the role of Consulting CEO, guiding Helping Hearts confidently into its next chapter.

A Royal Recognition

Then came a moment that truly took our breath away.

After months of interviews and rigorous scrutiny, Helping Hearts was awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour His Majesty can bestow on a charity.

This recognition belongs to every volunteer who shows up week after week: packing food parcels, sorting donations, welcoming people with warmth and dignity, and offering support without stigma. Their impact has been so profound that even His Majesty is proud to put his name to it.

Rising to the Challenge

Like many organisations, 2025 brought significant challenges. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis, coupled with supermarkets reducing food waste, created a perfect storm. Food donations fell sharply just as demand surged.

But our team rose to the challenge. They didn’t just work harder; they worked smarter. By forging new relationships with businesses, community champions, and partners, they built a resilient network committed to ensuring no one went home empty-handed on a Thursday.

As Andrew stepped into the role of Consulting CEO, Sam took on the demanding responsibility of Chair of Trustees, ensuring strong governance, stability, and support as Helping Hearts navigated a period of rapid growth and increasing need.

To every individual and organisation who stepped up: thank you.

The Impact in Numbers

2025 at a glance:
9,350 hot meals served · 33.8 tonnes of food distributed · 170 people supported per night · King’s Award for Voluntary Service

Together, in 2025, we achieved:

33,800 kilos of food provided to families facing food insecurity
3,000 kilos of baby food were distributed to support families with young children
4,000 nappies supplied to parents in need
Thousands of items of clothing were given out to individuals and families
1,250 kilos of pet food were provided, ensuring beloved companions were not forgotten
9,350 hot meals served to people needing warmth, nourishment, and dignity
56 community members enrolled on courses with Blackpool and the Fylde College
Mental health support delivered through Counselling in the Community
Citizens Advice is now offering vital guidance directly on-site
SWEP provider status, enabling us to open our doors during extreme weather to keep rough sleepers safe and warm

Special Moments and New Partnerships

This Christmas Day, we will open our doors to bring joy and connection to those who need it most. A three-course meal, gifts, crackers, terrible festive jokes, and even Santa himself, because everyone deserves to feel the magic of Christmas.

Our partnerships continue to change lives in meaningful ways. Through the National Literacy Trust, families have come together around books and play, strengthening bonds and improving reading confidence.

With the Layton Forward Project, we delivered hands-on cooking classes, helping families stretch ingredients from their food packs. By providing slow cookers, we supported households to create nutritious meals while reducing energy costs, putting money back where it’s needed most.

Looking Ahead to 2026

We head into 2026 with momentum, confidence, and ambition.

From New Year’s Day, our doors will open weekly, and that’s just the beginning. Our plans include:

Opening more days each week
Homework clubs for young people
In-house adult learning with Blackpool and the Fylde College
Developing Boothley Road into a true community hub, warm, welcoming, and safe for absolutely everyone

Thank You

None of this would be possible without our extraordinary volunteers. Every Thursday, they show up. They listen. They collect donations across the Fylde, organise fundraisers, and build the relationships that make Helping Hearts what it is. You are the heartbeat of this organisation.

To everyone who donated, dropped off food or clothing, or shared our story online, thank you. Every contribution, like, and share helps connect those who can help with those who need it most.

If 2025 has shown us anything, it’s what’s possible when a community chooses compassion.

From all of us at Helping Hearts, thank you for making 2025 unforgettable. We can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together in 2026.

Want to be part of what’s next?
Whether you volunteer your time, donate, fundraise, or partner with us, your support helps ensure no one in our community is left behind as we move into 2026.