Love & Community:
This section is all about teamwork, community spirit, all forms of love, initiatives, charities and projects that help others.
More of the Same:
Helping the most vulnerable – one night out and text at a time
In the heart of Sheffield, a student is making a difference not just in her own life, but in the lives of many others. Her name is Poppy Haynes, and...
Combatting loneliness – the power of showing up
Humans are innately communal. If you're in any doubt about that, all you have to do is check out our Love and Community page. There are whole...
Combatting loneliness – One step at a time
Quickly nipping to the shops or even walking to the bottom of the garden to hang the washing out may seem as easy as breathing to most people; but...
A mother built a twin support group and kept giving back
From launching a parents’ group in Barnsley to volunteering, Julia Jones has dedicated her life to lifting others. In the early morning, long before...
The Men’s Shed is building bonds, not just birdhouses
Male isolation is a growing crisis among older men, but across Britain, workshops known as Men’s Sheds are becoming places of friendship, learning,...
Young entrepreneur’s jewellery business to feed homeless
Emaan Hamna Ibrahim is not spending her weekends watching cartoons or scrolling on a tablet. Instead, she’s creating handmade jewellery to raise...
Celebrating Pride Month at The Optimist
Here at the Optimist we are celebrating Pride Month this June, and want to spotlight some LGBTQIA+ creators that we think you should be following....
Ruislip Urbanists: One bench at a time
From a single bench outside his home to a growing network of libraries, planters, and bird boxes, Alex Russell-Bates is reimagining Ruislip’s...
Big Ant: Changing lives beyond the knife
Where knife crime continues to rise, Anthony Olaseinde, known as “Big Ant”, is on a mission to offer young people a real alternative. Through his...
Billy and Beyond: a mother’s journey to honour her son’s legacy
After the tragic passing of her son at the hands of a recreational drug, a mother from Sussex has dedicated her life to an award-winning campaign...
Combatting loneliness – Award-winning charity b:friend
Since its creation in 2017, the charity has grown all over South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, creating over 2,500 new friendships. I joined the...
Mayday Saxonvale: Frome’s bold move for housing justice
In the Somerset town of Frome, something quietly revolutionary is happening, a long-debated piece of land in the town centre officially moved into...
The Optimist Unplugged: Save Our Sandwiches
On tomorrow’s episode of The Optimist: Unplugged, Jas and Eloise will be talking to Alice Forbes, the president of a University of Sheffield society...
Transformation of lives: Hope and resilience in Uganda
Watoto Church is bringing hope to orphans and vulnerable women in Uganda, and their children’s choir is spreading joy and resilience around the...
‘The world won’t end if you take time off’: walking for mental health
Stepping Outside for Mental Health While many of us were glued to our desks during Mental Health Awareness Week,, seven creatives in Sheffield were...
The importance of co-listening: Why is hearing not enough?
Elim Lau explains the importance of co-listening and describes how it functions. When was the last time you sat in silence, not scrolling, not...
Combatting loneliness- How driving can change a life
A simple drive, a quick pub lunch, a trip to the seaside. To most, an everyday occurrence, nothing of note, a mundane day out. But to hospice...
Market tackles food waste while supporting local families
Amid rising food prices and food waste, a grassroots pop-up market in Sheffield, England, offers a local solution for food waste by providing...
Hope on the seafront: Clacton’s community spirit
Clacton’s revival is driven by powerful community spirit, bringing hope and change to this once-struggling seaside town. The small town on the Essex...
Parents For Peace Worthing: “The biggest form of resistance is love”
After watching the war between Hamas and Israel unfold, a group of strangers joined together to build Parents For Peace Worthing, hoping to incite...
Migrants stories amid Keir Starmer “island of strangers” debate
When building a life more than a thousand miles away from your motherland, migrants often find it hard to balance the identity rooted in your...