Hello Chocolate Queens and Kings,
As a business woman I believe it’s my responsibility to serve my customers and make them feel valued, but it’s also my responsibility to give back to our community called New Zealand. Mental Health has a strong place in my heart as I have suffered from depression over the last four years. It is an incredibly hard journey building a business with depression let alone having to also deal with people who knock you down, and are nasty with the intention of making your business fail. I didn’t want to see other New Zealanders, especially small business owners, be placed in these positions and feel like they are alone. So this is what drives not just me but a group of absolutely amazing ex-Cadbury’s staff to raise money for mental health in New Zealand. I am so grateful to the amazing team of ex-Cadbury’s staff + Community called Project Hope & Beyond. This connection has helped save my life when I was at my lowest.
Project Hope & beyond
The Project team fundraiser off the old Cadbury’s Carpark in Dunedin, New Zealand every weekend ( weather permitting ) raising money for @iamhope_nz @life_matters_nz @rmhcnewzealand and @movember The team donate 4 hour of their own time to manage and supervise the old Cadbury’s car cark rotating around the charities each week to make it fair, and asking for a gold coin donation on parking in the carpark. The team have also done a number of other fundraising challenges the biggest being taking back our old Chocolate factory for one day to run tours to raise money for @iamhope_nz @life_matters_nz To the few in our community who have knocked our fundraising efforts and said that we are not genuine people, our car park fundraising and last Cadbury’s Factory tours have been approved by the SDHB and Government. The grand total raised so far is $18,845.
What keeps us going
Honestly raising money for mental health is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it is even harder being a woman from a Chocolate Factory. When trying to push for recognition for the team I have been pushed back with the words “now’s not a good time” or “you guys are nobodies”. I believe and hope that one day the public of New Zealand will hear this story from the media and our amazing team of ex-Cadbury’s staff will finally get the recognition they deserve.
To help keep us going and motivate myself and the team take inspiration from a couple of mottos, I hope they inspire you too!
“When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.” – Michelle Obama
“Don’t let someone get comfortable disrespecting you”
Thank you and so grateful to the people who are not just curious but who actually turn up and support our Chocolate Queen vibes, you are my kind of people! M xxx
Needing support? Call or text 1737
Lifeline: 0800 543 354
Youthline: 0800 376 633
@projecthope.beyond Facebook