The Hope Festival

Tyler is the Founder and CEO of The Hope Festival, a non-profit organisation that holds an annual festival and year-round volunteering activities to provide material assistance, access to services, connections to resources, and emotional support for people experiencing poverty and homelessness. The Hope Festival facilitates access to supplies such as groceries, clothes, and hygiene supplies, services such as vaccinations and health check-ups, and connects vulnerable people with local organisations for further long-term care and support. The movement’s Hope in Motion programme empowers people to drive tangible change in their local communities by empowering them through year-round volunteering opportunities.

Tyler attended the One Young World Summit in Munich, 2021, and in Belfast, 2023. As a Z Zurich Foundation Scholar, he was able to establish a partnership with, and receive funding from, the Z Zurich Foundation following the Munich Summit to develop and scale The Hope Festival’s work. During the Belfast Summit, Tyler received mentorship from One Young World Counsellor and CEO of United Way, Angela Williams.

The Hope Festival has impacted 9,500 people facing homelessness and poverty so far, including 6,500 children. It has donated an additional 40,000 pounds of clothing and food to local charities through its other projects. Hopefest itself offers a wide range of material support to attendees, including providing grocery bags, clothing for children and adults, toys, school supplies, haircuts, health screenings, and dental care. During the event, volunteers decorate the venue with supportive messages while grocery bags are accompanied by handwritten notes for the families in need – all with the goal of reminding them that they aren’t forgotten and that there is a community that has their backs. Tyler is looking to expand the scope of the Festival into a more systematic approach to tackling poverty and homelessness.

“One Young World is truly the most incredible community that I have the privilege to be part of. The connections you make and understanding of one another, being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes or hear about what it's like to grow up in a country on the other side of the world that experiences completely different issues, and to learn from how other young people are making change across the globe is deeply inspiring.”