Voices of Hope (VoH), a Kingston-based charity dedicated to improving physical and mental health through community-based projects, will extend its BRITE Box project to support nine new families in New and Old Malden. This expansion is made possible by a £3,000 Neighbourhood Community Grant approved at the New and Old Malden Neighbourhood Committee meeting on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, held at Richard Challoner School.

VoH was established to help restore and rebuild hope in individuals, improving physical and mental health through community-based projects including cooking courses, choirs, community lunches, home based family meal recipe boxes and a fresh food co-op. In May 2020 VoH started their BRITE Box project (Building Resilience In Today's Environment) sending weekly meal kits to families identified by local authorities and schools as being at risk of food insecurity.

The BRITE Box project provides weekly meal kits with all the ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes, enabling families to prepare and enjoy balanced meals together. Each recipe costs less than £5 to cook again for a family of five. This provides a healthy meal for the whole family and builds confidence and resilience through teaching cooking skills to both children and parents.

VoH collaborates with schools, the local authority, youth groups, and charities to identify and support families in need. This year, the project will partner with Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School to reach families in the New and Old Malden area. VoH works closely with Achieving for Children (AfC) in identifying schools and, in turn, with schools in identifying the families most in need of the support and opportunity offered by BRITE Box. As those closest to the children and families in question, VoH believes the schools are best placed to identify participating children and their families.

The grant will enable VoH to provide 324 BRITE Boxes over 36 weeks to the nine families. Each box contains ingredients and recipes for a family of five, costing less than £5 to recreate, and includes at least two vegetables.

According to the NOM Community Grants Oct 2025 report, the BRITE Box project aims to:

  • Address child food hunger through a fun family activity.
  • Build resilience and improve mental well-being by providing cooking skills and confidence.
  • Bring families together around food in the home.

The project's budget includes costs for food ingredients, project management, packing, printing, and core overhead contributions. VoH is also seeking grant funding in other neighbourhoods to expand the BRITE Box project's reach.

The committee also considered a grant application from the New Malden Town Centre Partnership (NMTCP) for their Jubilee Square Christmas Party. The NMTCP aims to work with the local community, businesses, and the council to promote the attractiveness and use of the town centre. The Christmas party includes a parade, church fayre, Santa's grotto, multicultural food stalls, and community group stalls.