A Little Creativity, A Lot of Love, and the Wonderful Things That Happen When People Come Together
Sometimes the smallest things grow into something we never could have imagined.
For me, it all started with a handful of colourful beads, a few little charms and a quiet moment to myself.
I never set out to organise a fundraiser. I simply discovered something that made me happy.
As an integrative counsellor, I spend much of my working life listening, supporting and being emotionally present for others. I love my work, but like anyone whose days are filled with caring for others, I also need moments when I can simply be myself, without expectations or responsibilities.
And rather unexpectedly, I found those moments in making bracelets.
There is something incredibly peaceful about sitting with different colours, shapes and textures and allowing something to come together.
I rarely plan my designs. Somehow, I just seem to know which beads belong together, which colours feel right and when a bracelet is finished.
My mind becomes wonderfully quiet.
There is no analysing, no problem-solving, no need to find the right words. Just my hands creating something, one little bead at a time.
And I love it.
Before I knew it, I had rather a lot of bracelets!
I began wondering what I could do with them. I didn’t want to make them to earn money. For me, the joy was always in creating them and sharing something of myself with others.
And then I had an idea.
What if these little bracelets could help animals?
From a Little Hobby to Something Much Bigger
Animals have always held a very special place in my heart.
Anyone who knows me, or has visited Soul Healing Counselling and met Ember, my much-loved therapy dog, will probably already know that!
I’ve always felt that animals give us so much without asking for very much in return. Their companionship, trust, affection and sometimes simply their quiet presence can bring enormous comfort.
Sadly, not every animal has the safety, love or care it deserves.
And although I cannot help every animal, I can do something for some of them.
So I decided to make bracelets to raise money for the JSPCA, our local animal shelter here in Jersey.
Each bracelet is lovingly handmade, using different colours, beads, patterns and animal-inspired charms.
No two are exactly alike.
Some are colourful and playful, others are softer and more delicate. Some feature little paws, hearts or animals, and I also love creating personalised bracelets with the names of much-loved pets.
I find something rather special in allowing each bracelet to have its own character.
After all, isn’t that true of us, too?
We are all different. We have our own stories, personalities, preferences and ways of expressing ourselves.
And those differences are something to celebrate.
That’s where the message behind this little project came from:
Your power is in your uniqueness.
It’s something I believe deeply, both personally and through my work as a counsellor.
We spend so much of our lives comparing ourselves with others, trying to fit expectations or wondering whether we are good enough.
Yet so often, the very things that make us different are also the things that make us wonderful.
And perhaps, in their own small way, these bracelets can be a reminder of that.
handmade bracelet with garnet stone
The Wonderful People Who Made This Possible
One of the loveliest surprises of this project has been discovering how something that began as a quiet hobby could bring people together.
What started with me sitting alone threading beads gradually became something much bigger.
Friends and supporters began joining in, bringing their own creativity, ideas and enthusiasm.
And suddenly, it wasn’t just my little project anymore.
It became ours.
I cannot tell you how much that means to me.
There is something incredibly touching about people choosing to give their time to something simply because they care.
Nobody had to get involved. Nobody had to spend their evenings making bracelets, sharing ideas or helping things come together.
Yet they did.
And they did it with such warmth and generosity.
I want to say a very special thank you to the wonderful people who have helped bring this project to life.
You have given something far more precious than your time.
You’ve given a little piece of yourselves.
Every bracelet carries someone’s patience, imagination, creativity and kindness.
handmade bracelet with citrine stone
Every carefully chosen bead and little charm is part of something made with the hope that it might help an animal we may never even meet.
handmade bracelet with carnelian
I find that thought incredibly moving.
Sometimes we underestimate the difference we can make through small acts of kindness.
An evening spent creating something. A few encouraging words. A willingness to help without expecting anything in return.
On their own, these things might seem small.
But when we bring them together, something rather beautiful happens.
We create a little community of people who simply want to do something good.
And to everyone who has shared their time, creativity, encouragement and support, I want you to know how grateful I am.
You have made this project more meaningful than I could ever have made it on my own.
Most importantly, you’ve reminded me that there is still so much kindness in the world.
And I think we all need reminding of that sometimes.
A Very Special Family Connection
There is another part of this story that makes our fundraiser particularly close to my heart.
My late father-in-law, Alec John Raffray, affectionately known as Raf, spent decades working at the JSPCA Animal Shelter on St Saviour’s Road, serving as Administrator and General Manager from around the 1970s until his retirement in the early 1990s.
My husband, Paul, grew up around the shelter.
He remembers accompanying his father on animal-related call-outs across Jersey, seeing all sorts of animals coming into their care and experiencing a very different version of the shelter from the one we know today.
Some of his memories are quite extraordinary.
He remembers a cheetah being brought to the shelter for X-rays before Jersey Zoo had its own veterinary team, as well as encounters with birds of prey, horses and many other animals.
And, of course, there were the shelter animals who eventually became part of the family.
I love listening to those stories.
There’s something very touching about knowing that Paul’s father devoted so much of his working life to helping animals on our island.
And now, decades later, we’re supporting the same organisation in our own little way.
I never imagined that my love of making bracelets would become connected to such an important part of our family history.
Different generations, different ways of helping, but the same compassion for animals.
It feels like a lovely little thread connecting the past with the present.
And perhaps that’s one of the most beautiful things about kindness.
It doesn’t necessarily end with the person who first offered it.
Sometimes it quietly continues through the lives of others.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Local Businesses
Another wonderful part of this journey has been the generosity of local businesses who have welcomed our bracelets and offered to help us raise funds.
I’m so grateful to The Pet Wellness Centre, Carpathia Clinic and Eve Studios for making space for our little creations and helping us reach more people across Jersey.
And, of course, to the JSPCA for embracing this project, sharing our story and giving us the opportunity to contribute to the incredible work they do.
It might seem like a small gesture to offer a little space for a basket of bracelets, but to me, it means a great deal.
Every business that gets involved helps us reach someone who might otherwise never have heard about the fundraiser.
Every bracelet chosen means another contribution towards the care of an animal in need.
And every person who shares our story helps that little circle of kindness grow.
Thank you for being part of it.
It’s lovely to see our island community coming together in this way.
Our Little Project Made the JSPCA News!
One of the biggest surprises came when the JSPCA decided to feature our fundraiser on its website.
I must admit, I felt rather emotional reading the article.
Something that began as a little hobby in my spare time had somehow become a story about creativity, family, generosity and bringing people together.
It was especially lovely to see Paul’s father remembered and to have Ember included in the story, too.
Hayley Routier from the JSPCA visited to learn more about the project and shared such kind words about the care and creativity that had gone into it.
I felt incredibly touched.
I’m not always very good at celebrating my own achievements, and like many people who create things, I sometimes find myself wondering whether anyone will actually like what I’ve made.
But seeing the project grow has reminded me of something important.
We don’t have to create something perfect to create something meaningful.
Sometimes we simply need to follow an idea that feels right, put a little love into it and see where it takes us.
You can read the JSPCA’s lovely article about our fundraiser and its special family connection here:
A Family Connection Inspires JSPCA Bracelet Fundraiser – Read the Full Story
Where Can You Find Our Bracelets?
Our handmade bracelets are available at several lovely locations across Jersey.
You can find them at the JSPCA Animal Shelter on St Saviour’s Road, Soul Healing Counselling on Charles Street in St Helier, The Pet Wellness Centre in St Peter, Carpathia Clinic at Charing Cross and Eve Studios in Royal Square.
Each bracelet is individually handmade, and we’re continuing to create new designs.
The suggested donation is £10 per bracelet, although people are welcome to donate whatever they can afford, or contribute a little more if they wish.
All the materials are personally funded by me, so the money raised through bracelet donations goes towards supporting the JSPCA and the animals in their care.
If you’d like something more personal, I’m also happy to create a bracelet featuring the name of your beloved pet.
After all, our animals are family, and sometimes it’s lovely to carry a little reminder of them with us.
One Little Bracelet, One Little Act of Kindness
I think what this whole experience has reminded me is that we don’t always need to do something extraordinary to make a difference.
Sometimes we become so overwhelmed by the problems in the world that we forget how meaningful our smaller contributions can be.
We may not be able to rescue every animal, change every difficult situation or make everything right.
But we can still do something.
We can offer our time.
We can share what we have.
We can create something.
We can choose kindness.
And sometimes, when enough of us make those little choices, the difference becomes much bigger than we imagined.
For me, these bracelets have become about so much more than fundraising.
They’ve given me moments of peace in a busy life, the joy of creating something with my hands and the opportunity to share that joy with other people.
They’ve brought friends together, connected us with our local community and created another little chapter in our family’s connection to the JSPCA.
And perhaps most importantly, they’ve reminded me that even something very small can carry an enormous amount of love.
To everyone who has created, helped, encouraged, donated, shared our story or chosen one of our bracelets, thank you.
And to the wonderful people who have sat beside me, threading beads and giving their time simply because they wanted to help, an especially heartfelt thank you.
I hope you know that you’re not just helping me make bracelets.
You’re helping create something that matters.
I don’t know how big this little project will become, and perhaps that’s not particularly important.
What matters is what we’re already doing together.
Because I know one little bracelet won’t change the whole world.
But perhaps it can change a little part of the world for one animal.
And to me, that’s enough reason to keep making them.
With love and gratitude,
Alicja 🌱 and Ember 🐾
