Our Story

Bethan Evans is the Creator and Director of Messages of Hope.

Messages of Hope was first created in 2020. However between the years of 2019 and 2022 Bethan was at war with her mental health, more specifically Borderline Personality Disorder, therefore the growth and development of Messages of Hope slipped far down on her list of priorities. In November 2022 Bethan made an extremely serious attempt to end her life which resulted in her hospitalisation. Following this suicide attempt Bethan made a conscious effort to turn her life around and to this day, she remains in recovery and out of hospital for over a year. Bethan wants to use her story to inspire others to keep fighting. She wants everyone to know that they have a purpose in this world and usually we feel most lost right before we are found. Suicide is not the answer and it never will be.

On July 29, 2023, Messages of Hope hosted its first collaborative art project at Barry Island, which turned out to be a resounding success. The event saw an overwhelming outpouring of support, with over 200 heartfelt messages collected and countless inspiring and empowering conversations shared. People of all ages, from children to adults, left their marks on pre-prepared canvases, filling them with messages of hope and encouragement.

Beyond the canvases, attendees had the opportunity to write their messages on pebbles, adding a unique touch to the project. A dedicated colouring station provided a space for mindfulness and creativity, allowing participants to take a peaceful break and express their hopes through art.

We are immensely grateful to everyone who supported and participated in this event. Your contributions have created a tapestry of hope that we are excited to share with the broader community. You can view the finished canvases at the Barry YMCA in The Vale of Glamorgan, a testament to the collective spirit of hope and resilience.

2024 was a big year for Messages of Hope. This year MOH saw the official start of the Bags of Hope campaign and hosted a major event in the form of Connections 2024. Early 2024 saw the interest in our organisation raised considerably with a number of viral TikTok posts. It was in this year we truly saw the effect of what our work can do for both the community and the individual. Bags of Hope received over 5000 donations allowing us to make over 250 bags, an incredible outpouring of support from the community. We also had the opportunity to partner with Thrive LDN, and with the backing of the Mayor of London, participated in Great Mental Health Day in the form of a video project.

Bethan's work was also recognised this year being awarded the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award in Wales for Most Inspiring Individual.

Moving from our big year, we were really excited to see how we could keep growing. Unfortunately, the funding we applied for fell through, which admittedly knocked our confidence and had us doubting the work we do and our value. This led us to get back out into the community to remind us why Messages of Hope was created. This slight setback will not stop us from working to help others, if anything, we will work harder.

Our resilience has already started to be rewarded with our Bags of Hope packing events with React Support Services and Barry's Social Sisters.