A Heartfelt Thank You to the HOPE Group

For many years, the HOPE Group stood at the heart of our school community — giving their time, energy and kindness to create opportunities, raise vital funds and bring families together. Their dedication shaped experiences, enriched our pupils’ lives, and strengthened the bonds between parents, staff and the wider Hazel Oak family. We remain deeply grateful for every event organised, every idea shared and every moment of support offered. Their legacy continues to live on in the memories made, the resources gained, and the community spirit they helped to build.

What was the HOPE Group?

The Hazel Oak Parent Enterprise Group had been set up for 7 years to bring parents across the school together to support enterprise work for the school and its pupils. This included raising money, as well as supporting social, employment and post‑school connections.

The HOPE Group succeeded through the time and wider input that parents could offer. Parents, families and their friends were able to support as much or as little as they liked, helping to organise or contribute to any event. There was also a social side, helping parents to become better connected with one another.

What did the HOPE Group do?

HOPE ran many events at different scales across the year — from selling ice pops at sports day to putting on the spectacular annual Winterfest celebration. Many events took place in school and involved the pupils, while others were fundraising events that parents could join outside of school. They also did a lot of work researching grants and funding opportunities to buy school resources. Some of the events they offered included:

Wolf Run, Fathers’ and Mothers’ Day shops, Bake Sales, Sports Day catering, Winterfest, HOFFSTOCK, Santa Christmas Collection with Shirley Lions, supermarket bag packs, the TESCO token scheme, Quiz Nights, Rags to Riches collections, and many more.

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Why was HOPE so important?

The sensory room and the two new minibuses were all paid for through the continuous hard work of the parents who supported HOPE. With significant school budget cuts in recent years, these crucial resources would not have been possible without HOPE. Their efforts meant pupils received more experiences that helped regulate, support and develop them.

HOPE also played a big role in bringing the Hazel Oak community together. Events such as the recent Quiz Night were hugely successful and brought many parents and families together for fun in support of their young people. Supporting a young person with additional needs could be challenging, and HOPE provided a valuable network for parents.

For those unable to give time, HOPE always welcomed enterprising connections. They looked for businesses or individuals willing to make donations or offer services to support their work or the school. Some parents even organised fundraising in their own workplaces.

Any help offered brought more funds and support for the young people of Hazel Oak.

The school extended its thanks to everyone who had supported an event, offered ideas or made donations. Their contributions ensured the continued growth of the HOPE Group.

Times may have been tough, but there was always HOPE - thank you again to our amazing HOPE Group and everything you did for Hazel Oak.