Small actions can make a BIG difference… Hope UK launches its ‘12 Days of Positive Actions’ fundraising campaign

Recent media stories have highlighted the harm caused by the ‘chronic, escalating use’ of ketamine*, an illegal drug. Increasing numbers of young people – some as young as 13 – are turning to ketamine for fun, to relieve their boredom or to self-medicate for poor mental health.

When a young person is faced with the choice to use or not use a substance, the evidence tells us that drug prevention works! A young person who has benefited from life skills education is much more likely to make a healthy choice when it comes to that crunch moment.

This Christmas Kettering-based drug education charity, Hope UK is asking people to take part in a campaign to show that small actions can make a big difference. By doing so they will be helping Hope UK to equip more children and young people with the skills they need to make drug-free choices.

Hope UK’s 12 Days of Positive Actions Challenge is about making a choice to do something life-affirming, however big or small. On day 5 you could give up your drug of choice (for example, caffeine) for 24 hours, and instead you could list 10 things that you like about yourself. Or you could fact-check a social media post. These are actions linked to Hope UK’s life skills education and give a tiny taste of Hope UK’s drug prevention work with young people.

By getting sponsored to do the 12 Days of Positive Actions Challenge, or by donating to take part, supporters could contribute towards the following: £25 will fund resources and handouts for a drug education workshop; £50 will enable a school to access e-learning units or lesson plans for PSHE; £100 will fund a bespoke one-hour session for a school or youth organisation.

Everyone who chooses to partner with Hope UK, by taking on the 12 Days of Positive Choices Challenge this Christmas, will help equip more young people with the skills to make healthy choices. Small actions can change a life.

For a copy of the campaign pack for participants, go to: https://hopeuk.org/12days/