Hope still floats. In fact, seven out of ten adults in the UK say they feel hopeful about their future. 

According to research from the British Red Cross of 2,000 UK adults, acts of kindness are the biggest single driver of this hope.

Over half (54%) of people say acts of kindness, medical and scientific advances (53%) and seeing people help each other in a community (44%) are their key sources of optimism. 

In addition, the vast majority (95%) said witnessing communities recover and rebuild after an emergency is important to their sense of hope for the future. 

The research underlines the ethos of Hope Street, a two-day immersive experience in Battersea Power Station’s Malaysia Square, which invited the public to discover emotive stories of hope from across the world. Each story, told via a digital screen hidden behind a door at the installation, revealed how people impacted by emergencies are rebuilding their lives and futures.  

At a time when many consumers feel they are doomscrolling their hope into oblivion, the stories successfully punctured the news cycle through an experience-first approach.

As well as revealing what gives people hope, the research exposes what makes people feel less hopeful about the future. Over three fifths of UK adults (60%) say global conflicts are a reason for less hope, and two fifths (41%) cite the impact of climate change.   

Yet, the research also suggests that people are able to find hope even when seeing people caught in an emergency, such as a flood or conflict on the news. Over half (53%) say they draw hope from seeing communities working together. The same number said witnessing emergency responders and volunteers in action provides a reason to be hopeful. 

Beatrice Butsana-Sita, Chief Executive of the British Red Cross, explained: “Today, despite a challenging global landscape, it's clear people continue to draw hope from one another. This might be through kindness and support within a community – or seeing the strength of others across the world, rebuilding after a disaster. “

She continued: “In my role at the British Red Cross, I see humanity and hope every day - around the world and across the UK – through the people we support and through our dedicated staff and volunteers.  Hope Street brings the power of hope to life. Each of the stories behind the doors demonstrate the strength of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the people and communities we work alongside.”  

One of the featured stories is Gina’s, Head Nurse at Silele Clinic in Eswatini, run by Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross, whose work supporting her community highlights everyday resilience and the power of hope in action. 

Gina, Head Nurse at Red Cross’ Silele Clinic in Eswatini, added: “Working in my community, I see resilience and hope every single day. Our clinic is in one of the most rural regions of Eswatini. If people cannot come to us, we come to them. Hope Street shares our story and others like it from across the globe. For me, hope is in those moments when you realise you’ve helped someone through one of the hardest times in their life.” 

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, which supports the Red Cross, added: “I am delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are supporting the British Red Cross to bring Hope Street to life. This activation celebrates the resilience of communities and the power of hope. We hope visitors leave inspired and motivated to make a difference in their own communities.”

Hope Street was free to the public and open at Malaysia Square, Battersea Power Station. Visitors could open the door to hope by exploring five doors, each revealing a powerful story from countries including Türkiye, Eswatini, Syria, Ukraine, and Bangladesh.

The experiential activation gave consumers the opportunity to genuinely connect with the stories shared. From communities rebuilding after earthquakes to people adapting to climate change, each story illustrated the resilience of communities and how, with support from Red Cross and Red Crescent teams, they recover and rebuild, creating lasting change and hope for the future. 

Lou Kelly, Head of Consumer at Boldspace, explained: “Seeing visitors engage so emotionally with each story has been truly rewarding. Hope Street has been an extraordinary project to work on, celebrating human connection, community, and the incredible work of the British Red Cross.”

Visitors are encouraged to share their experiences using #HopeStreet. To find out more about Hope Street and British Red Cross global emergency work visit: http://www.britishredcross.org.uk