A HAMPSHIRE group which started life as a plea for help to find a lost wedding ring is fast becoming an established part of life in the Solent area.

The generosity of spirit shown by the public response to that call back in 2014 inspired the creation of The Acts of Kindness Community (Solent).

Now, the group is celebrating two significant developments which will enable it to do more for those in need of a helping hand.

Acts of Kindness (AOK) aims to relieve the effects of poverty, provide support to the vulnerable and recognise those in the community who have served beyond expectation.

It was founded by Titchfield mother-of-two Kerry Snuggs, who was this year recognised as one of Fareham’s Citizens of Honour. At the heart of the operation is a Facebook network of 2,800 members who routinely give their time, donations, advice, services and ideas for the benefit of others.

The last month has been a very good one for AOK.

First came the announcement that convenience retail chain Nisa had randomly selected a nomination for the group to receive a donation of £1,000 from its Making a Difference Locally charity.

And news of the award from Making a Difference Locally headlined at another milestone event for AOK last weekend. The first ever meeting of the group’s new board of trustees took place, with the trustees signing the paperwork required to become a registered charity. This will give the group a legal status and enable it to bid for grants from funding bodies that are keen to support this kind of community self help initiative in an era when public services are struggling to meet demand with ever-diminishing resources.