Why I Started Paint & Connect CIC

When I first arrived in the UK from China, I had everything I needed. My parents had worked hard to build a successful business, and they sent me abroad for a good education, believing it would give me the best future. For two years, I studied for my A-levels without worrying about finances. University was meant to be the next step in that carefully laid-out plan.

Then, everything changed.

Just as I started my first year at university, my father’s business collapsed. Practically overnight, my family lost everything. My home was put up for auction, and suddenly, there was no money—not for my tuition, not for my rent, even stretched to cover for food.

I had to find a way to live.

I took two part-time jobs: one frying chips at Warwick Castle, the other selling clothes in a small shop near campus. I cut down my expense, rationed food down. Fresh meat was a luxury I couldn’t afford—frozen bacon scraps from Tesco became a rare treat.

But there was one thing I couldn’t let go of: painting.

At night, after long shifts and empty meals, I picked up my brushes. My watercolour paper was too precious to waste, so I used both sides. My paint tubes were squeezed to the very last drop. But when I painted, the hunger, the exhaustion, the uncertainty—they all faded into the background.

Art didn’t change my circumstances—but it gave me something just as powerful. It gave me hope.

Years later, after building a successful career and a life I once thought impossible, I look back at that struggling young student and realize—there are so many others like her. So many people who just need a creative outlet, a safe space, a moment of peace.

That’s why I started Olivia’s Paint & Connect Community Interest Company

I want to give others the same gift that got me through my darkest times—the chance to create, to express, to heal. Through free workshops, donated art supplies, and community events, we’re making watercolour accessible to everyone, regardless of their circumstances.

But I can’t do it alone.

Every donation, big or small, goes directly toward providing art materials, funding free classes, and creating opportunities for people who need them most. Whether it’s a struggling student, a child who’s never held a paintbrush, or someone simply looking for a creative escape—your support makes it possible.

With your support, we can paint a brighter future for those who need it most.