The idea
Create Happy is a registered Community Interest Group set up by Kirsty Kennedy (founder of Go Create) specifically to raise funds to deliver creative workshop to achieve specific outcomes such as wellbeing and developing creativity and skills leading to regeneration.
We're crowdfunding to raise money to run some much needed community events to support people who most need support in our community. These include youth, disabled children and their carers of famly (through For Us Too), adults suffering from mental health conditions or recovering from drug addiction and elderly people to reduce social isolation.
Our plan is to deliver workshops to members of charities and other well established organisations such as
Quarterdeck Youth Hub. Our services greatly support wellbeing and the organisations are better placed to identify individuals who most need wellbeing support or skills to better support their future outcomes.
What we'll deliver
- 5 x 4 week projects with different groups such as disabled/spcial needs
- 1 x 2 hour creative mix class over 10 weeks to support wellbeing for up to 12 people
- 50 x 2 hour workshops through Quarterdeck Youth Hub
Why it's a great idea
Create Happy can help individuals find their personal route into art, to experience therapeutic benefit as well as potentially inspire and teach skills to create a craft product as well as the skills to develop a micro craft business.
The act of going to an organised event can be a step in itself which can be transformative and healing. There's a wonderfully social aspect to crafting. Its hard not to chat and craft. It also leads to self-discovery and can open up pathways to futher study or micro trade as well as boost self esteem and confidence.
Youth
With multi millions being invested in a new digital college on Margate High Street, we believe there's an even greater need to push the low tech skills needed to precede or counter balance digital skills and to support that entry onto longer courses.
Our organisation is looking to engage and upskills youth as well as support wellbeing. This is crucial in an area which high levels of youth anti-social behaviour and NEET youth
Steps to get it done
- Crowdfund
- Draw up final list of organisations
- Develop proposals and organisation sign -ups
- Meet with different groups and receive input
- Finalise proposed activity/schedules
- Deliver workshops/gain feedback
- Continue to test and develop youth activity
Founder Kirsty Kennedy has previously won numerouse grants and awards and has successfully delivered projects through Quarterdeck Youth Hub in Cliftonville and to youth Hubs across different Kent Districts. Investment in this project will support research and development and the continual testing of activity to guage youth engagement and to maximise impact.
This project aims to deliver on wellbeing as well as sparking interests that can lead to future study or careers.
Founder K Kennedy is an Arts Award Advisor (all levels), a multi-discipline art coach whose work is in Gallery 136 High Street, Margate CT9 1LA. Her interest in wellbeing, personal development and creative enterprise led to the emergence of Create Happy.
As a Margate Resident for over 10 years in Central Margate she has direct experience of the issues faced within the Community and particularly in Central Margate.
