We are not just an organisation, we are discoverers – those who seek Treasure!
Our name, our Star, and tagline are not just fancy words and images, they tell the story of who we are- and we are all about the Treasure inside you!
Anyone who knows Treasure Seekers, knows we exist for people! We want to help people become the ‘best versions of themselves’. This means people with: the best mental health possible, the healthiest lifestyle possible, the best training, and the chance to be part of a positive community. It is not enough to see people grow in one area, to be fully alive is to have your potential fulfilled in all these areas. There is a star in each and every person waiting to be released: the potential of a person fulfilled when all these parts of their life are in harmony together.
We see this at our TSPA shows every term. After our performers – nervous at first, have had their confidence built, as a community over 12 weeks, their talents are revealed to the world on a stage in front of hundreds of people!
We saw this too recently with our Treasure Seekers Gift Shop volunteer Ben, who just got a paid Job. Joining the Gift Shop team was more than just something to do on a Monday morning: it was being part of a team, getting confidence, learning to talk to strangers, and gaining those employment skills in an easy to understand way. That star employee was always inside him, it just took the right environment and support to see it released for the world to see!
To ‘Be the Best you’ is to be a you which is healthy, connected to community, growing in skills, and showing the world your hidden talents.
But we know, from years of working with disadvantaged people, that this is not easy! Sadly, some people face very difficult barriers in their life, whether that be: mental health barriers, not knowing supportive people, or never having the chance to grow in important life skills. A good example is mental health. For people who struggle with anxiety, for instance, the thought of going through a GP to get specialised support can be really intimidating. So that is why we started Support at The Cavern, where anyone can just drop in and start a journey of being supported in their mental health.
That is why our logo is multiple stars inside each other, like a concentric circle- but a star. People start from the outside and move towards the centre. It is not enough to just invite people in to community, you have to reach out and get them! You have to make it easy for people to ‘dip their toe in the water’ and get a feel for it. So we run lots of non-threatening social activities for different groups: like art activities, learning disability discos, and coffee mornings. We want people to feel safe in giving community a try. As people come along, we get to know them and they hopefully see we are not too scary!
Over time people feel more confident, and we can help each individual go on a journey to grow in many different aspects of their life. Sometimes that is encouraging someone to try out a second social activity. It might also be connecting them with a course to look at relationships, confidence, hygiene or budgeting. As people do this they move from the outside star to the inside one: closer to becoming the best version of themselves.
We then see people become truly part of the Treasure Seekers family. Having got to know a community of people and gained lots of new skills and developed their talents, we offer a chance for people to contribute. A key part of being a social enterprise, and not a charity, is that we want to give people the chance to give back too! We have hundreds of volunteering opportunities, where people continue to grow, but also become part of the team – working with us to make Treasure Seekers happen. For example, our Disco’s (with about 200 attendees each event!) is mostly ran by adults with learning disabilities for adults with learning disabilities. There is a manager present, but the DJ sets, ticket sales, snack bar, lighting, set up and back down, are all delivered by our team of volunteers. These volunteers have grown in skills, found a community to call home, and now pull together to make these events happen for other people just like them. This is when people have moved inwards from the fringes of society, developed in key areas of skills and health, and are now in the centre of a supporting community. They are represented in the centre of our star.
This is what it means to become the best you!
So don’t stay on the outside! Whoever you are, whatever skills you have, or barriers you face, we want you to become part of our community. You can volunteer with us to help make this whole crazy thing happen! Or, if you want to grow and develop yourself, see our full range of activities here on the website. Or perhaps you want to help us continue what we are doing by becoming a ‘Friend of Treasure Seekers’ and make donations to our work. But whoever you are, get involved and start a journey to be the best you!
If you are not sure what would be a good fit for you get in touch with Craig who will be able to help: craig@kftseekers.org.uk
