This financial year, Community Spotlight has introduced a new showcase event, continued to provide a Craft & Chat group for adults who are lonely, anxious, or isolated, we have supported members of The Ripple Pond veterans Charity to take part in a textile project in partnership with The Watercress Line for Railway 200 and partnered with The Community Heartbeat Trust & Portsmouth City Council to adopt a BT phone box to convert into a community defibrillator. Community Spotlight held two new ‘A Spot of Activity’ showcase events (June 2024 & January 2025), with the aim of bringing together local activity providers from sports, health & wellbeing, performing arts, music, social, education & hobbies to connect with the local community in Portsmouth. The events showcased a total of 65 stall holders and included demonstrations, talks and workshops. There were over 100 visitors, the stallholders networked and we received positive feedback from all stallholders, with interest in attending future events. Our weekly Craft & Chat group has continued to grow, with an average of 12 regular attendees taking part each week. The group created a Poppy display in Southsea library window for 80th Anniversary of D-Day and had a trip to the fairground. The Craft & Chat group is an inclusive activity, which is helping people to learn new skills, improve their mental health and reduce loneliness. Attendees are aged from 20yrs to 90yrs old. Community Spotlight brought together four veteran’s spouses/partners from The Ripple Pond Charity to take part in a 6-month project to create a textile panel to celebrate Railway 200, with a theme of ‘music and poetry inspired by the railway’. The panel was part of 18 panels created by community groups from across Hampshire and coordinated by The Watercress Line education team. The activity enabled the attendees to share their skills, provide peer support, and form friendships. We partnered with The Community Heartbeat Trust and Portsmouth City Council to adopt a Grade II listed red BT phone box in Old Portsmouth to convert into a community defibrillator. The phone box is situated in a historic area of Portsmouth, which has a high number of visitors during the tourist season and has long-standing problems with young people tomb-stoning into the sea. The defibrillator will be available for 24 hours a day and be registered on The Circuit so the ambulance service will have access if required. The project has been funded by Portsmouth City Council CIL fund for the St Thomas Ward.

Community Spotlight consulted 3 x St Thomas Ward councillors to approve the application for CIL funding from Portsmouth City Council to adopt and install a defibrillator in the BT Phone Box, including approval from the Culture, Leisure, & Regulatory Services. We worked closely with The Community Heartbeat Trust to provide the equipment and agree a 4-year management agreement. We have 3 Directors at Community Spotlight, who are consulted in regards to projects and events, they volunteer their time and provide feedback to improve our services. We have built a strong relationship with The Ripple Pond, The Watercress Line and Southsea Library, with opportunities for partnering on future projects and activities.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration