About us
Hope Bags exists to restore dignity, comfort and hope to people admitted to psychiatric wards.
Who we are
No one should feel alone when facing mental health challenges.
At the heart of our work is a simple belief — that small acts of kindness can have a powerful impact. We connect communities through collective empathy, providing essential care packs that support people's wellbeing during a vulnerable time.
Our story
Why does Hope Bags exist?
2020
Messages of Hope begins
Bethan founds a peer-led initiative supporting people who are struggling, with the core aim of spreading hope.
December 2023
An idea becomes a movement
Bethan shared the concept of Hope Bags online. Hundreds of donations began arriving, turning a personal idea into a large-scale initiative supporting wards across South Wales and beyond.
2026
Hope Bags today
Bethan renamed the organisation to Hope Bags, and providing patients arriving on psychiatric wards with essential care items became its main focus.
A registered Community Interest Company
Hope Bags C.I.C. is a registered company working to support our communities through volunteers and donations.
Hope Bags were created from lived experience, compassion, and a simple but powerful belief that no one should feel alone when they are at their lowest.
In 2020, Bethan Evans founded Messages of Hope, a UK-based mental health initiative that combined peer-led empathy with practical support — sharing stories and encouragement from people with lived experience of mental health challenges.
It grew out of Bethan's own struggles. Between 2019 and 2022 she faced severe challenges, including a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder and several life-threatening suicide attempts that led to hospitalisation. She experienced first-hand how overwhelming and isolating a psychiatric admission can feel — and how arriving on a ward without basic essentials or a sense of dignity is something she knew needed to change.
The need
Why psychiatric patients need Hope Bags
People admitted to psychiatric wards often arrive in crisis, frequently with little or no personal belongings. Admissions can be sudden and distressing, leaving individuals without basic essentials such as toiletries, clean clothing, or items that support comfort and self-care.
Mental health inpatient settings are under significant pressure, with limited resources available to provide personal care items beyond the most basic clinical needs.
As a result, many patients are left relying on ward-issued items or donations that may not meet their individual needs — particularly those experiencing poverty, homelessness, domestic abuse, or limited family support.
When I was hospitalised I wasn't given anything but a gown — no pillow, no blanket, no basic hygiene things like a toothbrush. I'll never forget how dehumanising it felt.
— Shared with Hope Bags from lived experience
What we stand for
Our values
Five beliefs guide everything we do — from the items we include to the way we engage with every person we meet.
Compassion
We lead with empathy, kindness and understanding. Our work is rooted in listening to lived experience and responding with care, sensitivity and warmth.
Hope
Hope is at the heart of our organisation. Through small, thoughtful acts, we offer reassurance, comfort and optimism to those facing mental health challenges.
Community
We believe in the power of community to create change. By bringing volunteers, donors, partners and supporters together, we turn collective kindness into meaningful impact.
Awareness
We are committed to reducing stigma around mental health by encouraging open conversations, education and understanding in everything we do.
Thoughtfulness
We pay attention to the details that matter. From the items in our Hope Bags to the way we engage with people, we act with intention, care and respect.
Be part of the story.
Whether you give, volunteer or share — you help someone feel seen on their hardest day.