Slice of Hope started with a problem we could all see.
A deteriorating and dangerous, old building. A lack of structured opportunities for young people. And a growing gap between education and real-world experience.
What followed was a process rather than a single decision. Consultations took place. Funding was secured. Support grew. And the project developed in stages as more people bought into what it could become.
Slice of Hope is the result of that process. A youth development programme that uses pizza making as a practical tool to build skills, confidence and responsibility. It connects volunteering, skills training, leadership and enterprise into one working system.
It uses pizza as the tool. But the purpose runs much deeper.
From Derelict Hut to Community Asset
The space that now holds Slice of Hope was once home to an ageing wooden hut originally used as a pensioners’ building.
Over time it deteriorated beyond repair.
The structure became unsafe. Damp and rot spread through the building. The roof failed. Wiring was exposed. The area around it became overgrown and neglected.
It stopped being used and started being avoided.
Vandalism followed. Anti-social behaviour increased. What had once been part of the community became a liability within it.
Eventually, repair was no longer an option. The structure had reached the end of its life. To make it safe, the decision was made to remove it completely.
That created space for something new.
Not just a replacement building, but a reset in how the space could be used. A chance to build something with purpose rather than history.
Where slice of Hope began
The idea did not come from a finished plan. It developed through stages.
In 2023, a community consultation process was carried out with young people, parents and local residents to understand what was missing locally. The feedback was consistent. More opportunities. More responsibility. More ways to build real skills that lead somewhere.
From there, an idea was developed within the hub: using pizza making as a practical training tool. It was not presented as a finished solution. It was tested through a second round of consultation to see how it landed with the community.
The response was positive. People understood it quickly. It felt practical. It felt real. It felt like something young people would engage with.
The original plan was modest.
A National Lottery Community Fund application was submitted to safely remove the old hut and replace it with a single shipping container to create a basic training space.
At this stage, the intention was to start small and build carefully. But as development continued, the scale of need became clearer. Young people needed more space, more structure and more capacity than a single container could provide.
At the same time, with the support of match funding from local businesses and continued support from community partners allowed the project to expand. What began as one container grew into a three-container build, designed to support larger groups and a wider range of activity.
Each stage followed the same pattern.
Need identified. The idea developed. The community tested it. Funding secured. Support followed. And the project grew as confidence in the vision increased.
The building now sits on the footprint of the original hut, fully transformed into a purpose-built training environment.
The aims behind Slice of hope
Slice of Hope was designed around a set of connected aims that work together rather than sit separately.
Employment skills are built through experience, not through classroom learning.
Young people develop communication, teamwork, time management, customer service, food hygiene, problem solving and responsibility by taking part in the day-to-day running of Dojo Pizza.
Preparing food, serving customers, maintaining high standards and working as part of a team provides genuine workplace experience in a supportive environment.
The aim is to help every young person leave with greater confidence, practical experience and skills that employers value.
Volunteering gives young people the opportunity to make a positive contribution to their community while developing confidence and a sense of purpose.
Volunteers become part of the team, supporting activities across Slice of Hope and the wider community hub. They gain experience, meet new people and learn the value of commitment, reliability and giving something back.
For many, this will be their first experience of responsibility within a real community setting.
Every young person benefits from positive role models.
Through Slice of Hope, young people are supported by experienced volunteers and mentors who encourage, guide and challenge them to achieve their potential.
The focus is on building confidence, resilience and self-belief while providing a safe environment where young people feel supported to learn, make mistakes and grow.
As young people gain experience, they are encouraged to take on greater responsibility.
Leadership opportunities are built into the project, allowing participants to help organise activities, support new volunteers and contribute to the running of sessions.
Developing leadership skills helps build confidence, communication, decision-making and accountability while preparing young people for future education, employment and community roles.
The Youth Steering Board ensures that young people help shape the future of Slice of Hope.
Rather than simply taking part, members will have opportunities to influence decisions, develop new ideas and help plan future activities and events.
By giving young people a genuine voice, the project encourages ownership, responsibility and civic participation while ensuring the programme continues to reflect the needs of the community it serves.
Slice of Hope will support the re-establishment of Lowton Youth Club as a modern, welcoming space where young people can meet, socialise and take part in positive activities.
The youth club will build on the relationships and confidence developed through volunteering and training, providing ongoing opportunities for friendship, learning and community involvement.
Income generated through Dojo Pizza will help support the long-term sustainability of the youth club, ensuring it remains accessible for future generations of young people.
A key focus throughout is supporting young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). The aim is early engagement, early responsibility and early confidence building.
Each part connects. None of it works in isolation.
Transforming the Space Around It
The building is only part of the change for the community hub.
The wider outdoor space around it has also been reshaped.
An area that was previously neglected and underused, harbouring rodents, has been turned into a more open and usable environment.
With the support of local councillors via the Brighter Borough fund, outdoor seating areas have also been created. The layout now supports both structured sessions and informal community use.
It is now a space where people can gather, sit, talk, and take part in activities.
This matters because environment changes behaviour.
A space that feels unsafe or forgotten attracts one type of use.
A space that feels active and cared for attracts something very different.
Built by volunteers
The transformation of Slice of Hope has been driven by people rather than process.
Hundreds of volunteer hours have gone into clearing, building, preparing and improving the space. Local people have given time in evenings, weekends and spare hours because they believe in what it represents.
Alongside volunteers, local businesses and community partners have provided match funding, materials and support that allowed the project to grow beyond its original scope.
This has created something important.
Shared ownership.
The project does not belong to one organisation. What exists today reflects a collective effort.
The Engine behind It - Dojo Pizza
Dojo Pizza sits at the centre of Slice of Hope as its operational engine.
The name reflects the principles of judo. Discipline. Respect. Repetition. Improvement. Mutual benefit. These principles shape how the project is delivered and how young people are supported.
Pizza making provides the practical framework for learning.
Young people work in real time. They prepare food, manage tasks, communicate with customers and take responsibility in a live environment. It is structured, consistent and accountable.
But Dojo Pizza also solves a structural challenge that most youth projects face.
Sustainability.
Most programmes rely heavily on external funding to continue. That creates limits on scale and longevity.
This model was designed differently.
Income generated through Dojo Pizza is reinvested directly back into Slice of Hope. It supports training, equipment, youth sessions and ongoing development.
This creates a cycle.
Young people are trained. Skills are applied. Activity generates income. Income sustains the project. The project creates more opportunities.
As participation grows, the system strengthens.
Dojo Pizza is not the outcome of the project.
It is what allows the project to continue growing.
What This Has Replaced
It is worth being clear about what has changed.
An unused and deteriorating structure has been removed.
A space that was associated with neglect has been rebuilt.
An area that attracted anti-social behaviour has been redesigned into something active and supervised.
A forgotten corner of the site is now part of a working community hub.
That shift matters because it changes how people see the space, and how they use it.
Looking ahead
Slice of Hope is now moving into its next phase.
The focus now is no longer on building the space but embedding the programme.
From September, youth volunteering will expand. The Youth Steering Board will become more structured. Training will increase. The youth club element will grow into a consistent weekly offer.
The youth club element will grow alongside this, giving young people a consistent place to meet, learn and take part in activities.
Dojo Pizza will continue to play its role as the operational and financial foundation that supports this work.
The aim is to create consistency rather than intensity.
A programme that young people can rely on week after week.
Something that becomes part of normal life rather than an occasional offer.
Summary
Slice of Hope started with a problem.
A derelict building. A lack of opportunity. A gap in support for young people.
What followed was a process.
Need identified. Idea developed. Community tested it. Funding secured. Support grew. Delivery began. And the project expanded as confidence increased.
That same process is still happening now.
The building has changed.
The system is in place.
But the real outcome is still being written in the young people who walk through the door and start to see what they are capable of becoming.