CAP Members Perform Magic!

CAP Members Perform Magic - But before I start, here is a brief message from Kate McHardy, the lovely lady this story centres around.

"When Piper and I set off for a three month road trip in 2019 I had no idea what lay in store or how my life would change. After three wonderful months in Scotland we found ourselves stranded and homeless on the way south and thus began a whole new life in the Forest of Dean.  It has been an amazing ride and I am proud and happy to have been introduced to the incredible CAP people who made this all possible.  This is a story of life and a glorious testimony to what can happen when people step up to the plate and support each other.  Thankyou".

Saving a fellow members home from re-possession!
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Obviously, this story is more complex than told here, but you will get the gist. It’s about real kindness, true empathy and the magic that can happen when you bring collaboration to the table.
 
After running CAP Business Clubs for almost 10 years, I have come to recognise that a myriad of amazing things happens every week across the clubs, and why wouldn’t it when you have a community of members consistently supporting each other on a regular basis. But one story that has arisen from CAP is truly magical and I would like to share it with you.
 
Kate McHardy (and her faithful dog Piper) lived in Spain where she ran her business ‘The University of Light’. In February 2020 Kate and Piper were visiting the UK to help friends with some house sitting, when Covid19 broke out, therefore she could not return home. This was a real dilemma, as now she needed to rent a place here in the UK and still pay her mortgage in Spain. On top of which, Kate had to start attracting a new client base just at a time when we were all having a melt down regarding the lock down restrictions.
 
A friend of Kates suggested she came along to a CAP meeting, which she did, then joined our community and began putting her business back together. A few months later we held a ‘CAP Extra’, which were a series of ‘extra’ meetings designed specifically to help those struggling during the pandemic. Inside these meetings we split off into groups of four, and each group would brainstorm ideas for those requiring help.
 
It was during one of these meetings Kate first opened up regarding her predicament and that she was in danger of losing her house in Spain. Apparently Spanish banks are not too helpful (even during a pandemic!) and were pressuring Kate for payments that she was simply unable to make. This had now led to a threat that they would repossess the house....and very soon! Kate was devastated and felt completely helpless. The other three members in this particular brainstorming session, Matt Jupp, Ian Whitburn and Juliet Newton-Evans all immediately realised the consequences for Kate if she failed to meet the payments. She would lose her home, and right at the final hurdle as there was only eight thousand pounds left to pay on the mortgage, so it would have been a real tragedy to lose the house at this point (Not that there’s ever a good time). But the banks were adamant and made it very clear they meant business.
 
Further meetings from this mini group were set up to form a strategy on how to help Kate save her home. This was all done on their own time and willingness to help a fellow member; and please keep in mind two of them had never even met Kate before as they were from different CAP groups. They all worked together and decided to launch a Facebook appeal, which I am happy to report worked! Many people from all over the country and beyond kindly donated, and in a relatively short space of time it got the banks off Kate's back and gave her time to get back on her feet.   

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​I am so happy to report that at the time of writing this (April 2022) Kate has just one more payment (about 400 euros) to make and the house is hers. And furthermore, things continue to work out for the best. Kate is busy building her business here in the UK and plans to develop her Spanish property into a retreat to help others with their wellbeing. So, consequently the benefits of this project will touch many more lives for the good in the future. 
 
Matt, Ian and Juliet should be super proud of themselves, as their contributions really were above and beyond. I know it was a fine line and a mad race against the Spanish bank deadlines, but they did it ...by a whisker!! And Kate, what a brave lady she is; firstly, to have opened up and asked for help (often we don’t for whatever reason), then to have gone through so much; it really has been one hell of a journey for her (too much to mention here) with many twists, heartaches and sleepless nights.  
 
So, in conclusion - With the world seemingly ever more bonkers by the day, this story is so welcome and proves that despite the most desperate of situations, people are amazing and do amazing things. I for one am very proud to be associated with this community, and long may magic of this nature continue to happen, not just at CAP Business Clubs, but all over the globe. Just imagine, through no fault of your own, you were going to lose your home to the banks and then out of the blue the kindness and generosity of others helped pull you through and create a situation to help others in the future. Now that truly is Magic!

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