🎵 An Unforgettable Evening of Opera Raises Over £7,500!
Despite announcing that her June opera event would be her last, Amanda Mann once again opened her beautiful gardens at Kingfishers, for a special performance by the acclaimed Scherzo Ensemble.
On the 18th of August, guests enjoyed Mozart’s Così fan tutte – The Essential Cut, raising more than £7,500 for Hammersley Homes, including a generous donation from a loyal supporter.
We are enormously grateful to Amanda, the Scherzo Ensemble and everyone who supported this wonderful evening. We hope we might persuade Amanda to host another in summer 2027!
The Scherzo Ensemble is one of the UK’s most innovative touring opera companies, supporting emerging classical singers through its 10-month professional development programme. Visit their website to learn more.
🌿 Furzey Gardens - Connection Session
In August, our Outreach members enjoyed a wonderful Connection Session at Furzey Gardens in Minstead, a peaceful and beautiful place to escape the pressures of everyday life.
We were delighted to welcome two new service users to their first session, along with Trustee Sue Gray and office-based team members Marisa Tommaselli and Nicky Playle, who provide vital administrative and financial support behind the scenes.
It was a lovely opportunity to explore the gardens, relax and enjoy one another’s company. These sessions are an important part of our Outreach Service, creating space for meaningful connections in a friendly and informal setting. We are incredibly grateful to all our donors whose support makes days like this possible!.
🏆 Congratulations to J-A Bann!
We are delighted to announce the winner of our LEGO brick competition!
Visitors to our stand at the New Forest Show were invited to guess how many LEGO bricks were in the jar for the chance to win an iconic LEGO Home Alone set. The jar contained 358 bricks, and J-A made the closest guess with an impressive estimate of 350!
The competition was the brilliant idea of Nicky Rudd from Padua Communications. The theme was chosen to reflect our work and our goal, to establish fully supported homes for life for the vulnerable people we support. Giving comfort to their families, in the knowledge that their loved one will always be safe and supported.
A huge thank you to Nicky, our volunteers, everyone who visited our stand, entered the competition and learned more about our work supporting adults living with severe mental illness – and our vision to provide a Home for Life.
🎄 Big Give Christmas Challenge Update
In our July newsletter, we shared the exciting news that our application had been approved to take part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2026.
We are delighted to announce that we have reached our pledge target of £10,000, thanks to the generosity of our loyal supporters and The William Brake Foundation.
Now, we wait to find out whether we will receive Champion Funding. If we are awarded the full £10,000 (fingers crossed!) this would bring our total available match funding to £20,000.
We would then need to raise £20,000 in public donations during Big Give Week in early December in which those donations would be matched, potentially raising an incredible £40,000 for Hammersley Homes.
If you are planning to support us, please wait until the campaign opens in December so your donation can have twice the impact. We will share the donation link and full details nearer the time.
⭐ Thank You to The William Brake Foundation
Part of this funding has been allocated to our Big Give Christmas Challenge, helping us reach our £10,000 pledge target. The remaining balance will be donated directly to the charity to support our wider work.
🎪 Summer Spectacular at Woodside Gardens
We were delighted to be offered a free charity stand at the Summer Spectacular this year. It gave us a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of Hammersley Homes and share our ambition to provide permanent supported homes for adults living with enduring mental ill-health.
It was a fantastic family day out, featuring shopping stalls, a funfair, classic cars, ferret racing and even medieval jousting from The Knights of Royal England!
Our congratulations and thanks go to Lymington and Pennington Town Council and the Lymington Community Association for organising such a brilliant event!
💙 Thank You to The Simon Rivett-Carnac Trust
For the second year running, The Simon Rivett-Carnac Trusthas generously donated £5,000 to Hammersley Homes.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Sarah Rivett-Carnac for meeting with Laura De Franco to learn more about our Outreach Programme and for providing this valuable funding, which will help us continue delivering our Connection Sessions.
We are enormously grateful for the continued generosity and support.
🌿 £5,000 Anonymous Donation
Through the support of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HiWCF), we were delighted to receive an anonymous donation of £5,000 towards the delivery of our Connection Sessions in the New Forest.
This significant and generous donation will enable us to expand our programme and create more opportunities for service users to meet, connect and enjoy time together.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our anonymous donor and to HIoWCF for making this support possible.
🏡💙 Could You Be Our Next Treasurer?
Hammersley Homes is looking for a Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees.
Our mission is to provide permanent housing for adults living with enduring mental health challenges. Through our Outreach Programme, we currently support vulnerable adults in their own homes, helping with everyday tasks, social engagement, hobbies and personal goals. We have ambitious plans to expand our services nationwide.
About the role
Working alongside our Finance & Reporting Officer, the Treasurer will:
- Review and present financial reports to the Board
- Advise Trustees on their financial responsibilities
- Work with external financial advisers as required
- Oversee the preparation and scrutiny of annual accounts
We are looking for someone with:
- Experience of charity finance and fundraising
- Proficient use of Xero
- Strong financial analysis skills
- Clear communication skills
- A genuine enthusiasm for our cause
The role is voluntary, with reasonable expenses covered. Trustees normally meet four times a year, in Lymington or via Zoom, with additional liaison with the Finance & Reporting Officer, as required.
Interested?
Please send your CV and a covering letter (maximum one side of A4) explaining why you are interested in the role and why you would be suitable. 📧 info@hammersleyhomes.org
☀️ One Final Thank You!
A special and genuine thanks to all of our regular and one-off donors who very kindly keep Hammersley Homes at the heart of their giving. We recognise our donors have a choice in who they support, so we are enormously grateful that we are the recipients of their kindness and generosity. As we closed the summer, we were very happy to receive a donation from our friends at the Masonic Charitable Foundation at Lentune Lodge No.8743.
☀️ Nicky Playle - Finance & Reporting Officer
Nicky joined Hammersley Homes as Finance & Reporting Officer in August 2026, bringing with her over 10 years of experience working in finance and accounting. Throughout her career, She has worked in a variety of organisations such as Corporate Finance, SME & Charity.
What attracted you to Hammersley Homes?
I wanted to work for an organisation where my role could make a genuine difference. I was particularly drawn to Hammersley Homes’ values and its mission to provide permanent housing and lifelong support for adults living with enduring mental illness.
What are you hoping to bring to your new role?
I hope to make our day-to-day financial processes as smooth and efficient as possible, while bringing a fresh perspective to our current reporting. Overall, I look forward to supporting Hammersley Homes in its growth.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
In my spare time, I enjoy travelling and spending time with friends and family.
☀️ Help Us Spread The Word
🏃♀️ Fundraise for Hammersley Homes
Could you take on a challenge and help support our work?
Whether you run, cycle, swim, organise a bake sale, host a quiz night or create a challenge of your own, every pound you raise will help Hammersley Homes support adults living with enduring mental illness.
Fundraising is also a wonderful way to bring people together, raise awareness and have fun while making a genuine difference.
Whatever your idea, we would love to hear from you!
From grocery shopping and travel bookings, to clothing and gifts, you can help raise funds, from your online purchases for Hammersley Homes.
Buying a One Lottery ticket is another way to support Hammersley Homes, we can continue to grow and provide our services. So whether you buy 1 ticket or 10 tickets, thank you.
Text 3HOMES to 70580
Hammersley Homes charity eCards
Send an eCard for any occasion, and donate the cost of card & stamps to Hammersley Homes.
BUY AN eCARD
