On Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd October, the British Red Cross, thanks to funds raised by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, is unveiling Hope Street. The free immersive exhibition invites the public to discover emotive stories of hope from across the world. Each story reveals how people impacted by emergencies are rebuilding their lives and futures.
The immersive installation, in Battersea Power Station’s Malaysia Square coincides with the launch of new research from the British Red Cross which reveals that despite growing and more complex global challenges, seven in ten UK adults (70%) say they feel hopeful about their future.
According to the findings, acts of kindness, medical and scientific advances and seeing people help each other within a community are key sources of optimism. Additionally, 95% of UK adults said witnessing communities recover and rebuild after an emergency is important to their sense of hope.
Visitors can open the door to hope by exploring five doors, each revealing a powerful story from countries including Türkiye, Eswatini, Syria, Ukraine, and Bangladesh. From communities rebuilding after earthquakes to people adapting to climate change, each story illustrates the resilience of communities and how with support from Red Cross and Red Crescent teams, they recover and rebuild, creating lasting change and hope for the future.
As part of the installation, visitors will also have the opportunity to ‘Post Hope’ – to write and share their own letters of hope for the future (for themselves and/or others) into a dedicated post box.
Visitors are encouraged to share their experiences on the day using #HopeStreet. To find out more about Hope Street and British Red Cross visit: redcross.org.uk/hopestreet.
Beatrice Butsana-Sita, Chief Executive of the British Red Cross, said:
“Today, despite a challenging global landscape, its clear people continue to draw hope from one another. This might be through kindness and support within a community – or seeing the strength of others across the world, rebuilding after a disaster.
“In my role at the British Red Cross, I see humanity and hope every day – around the world and across the UK – through the people we support and through our dedicated staff and volunteers.
“Hope Street brings the power of hope to life. Each of the stories behind the doors demonstrate the strength of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the people and communities we work alongside.”
