Please VOTE for The Woodland Project.
Dear Friends,
We have been waiting for a few months, keeping quiet about something really important to me, our organisation and the families and young people we work with.
We have the incredible opportunity over the next two weeks to secure funding for a year with your help! We have been shortlisted as one of 5 finalists for the ITV People’s Project – this is up to you, the public, to VOTE. There are so many worthy projects but I want to tell you why we think want you to make a little effort and VOTE FOR THE WOODLAND PROJECT.
About 3 years ago, Tracey Johnson from the Family Intensive Support Service Disability Team visited us in the woods working with families and young people who have mental health issues. She took a risk and thought that perhaps the families that accessed her service could come out too – with the right support. And she was right!
I have spent the last few years being part of a project that blows me away every time. I can laugh like crazy, feel very moved, appreciate the calm haven that nature offers us all during one family day! As a parent myself, I am continually heartened by the relationships, love and resilience I witness between the parents and siblings towards their brother or sister – despite the often continual stress and difficulty that this special relationship fosters. In every day life, the parents are taken to their utmost edge – and mostly find a way back to be the best they can be for their family. They are ordinary people living with extraordinary situations – where they rarely sleep, are met with fear and judgement in everyday lives, some children are violent and verbally difficult, others make distressing noises. They cling on their parents for security when they are awake, and the truth is that there children are unlikely to ever be independent or reach many milestones. I know I would struggle.
Yet what they tell us is that this project is fantastic – they can come together as a family and everyone gets something good out of it. They can lie in a hammock together, they can meet another parent or sibling who gets it – they can have hope that people do manage as their child becomes a teenager. They can rest a while in nature. We all create a space that is welcoming and accepting. And we push the boundaries and try all sorts of things that would be unthinkable inside – sawing, getting messy, making fire, exploring the space in a non-breakable place. Parents talk about the many firsts – that their child has never created an item at school!
We all have many lives and different experiences. I want to us all to be a more compassionate society, count our blessings and enjoy the company of people from all walks of life! This project needs YOUR VOTE to help it continue. Please take a moment to share the link with your friends and family and watch the VIDEO – and share it!
Voting is now open and closes at noon on Monday 3 April. You can vote once per region and will need an email address to vote online. To support The Woodland Project, please visit the website here and then follow the instructions. You will receive an email to confirm your email address and your vote. If you do not confirm this, your vote will not count! Please check your junk email if you don’t receive it straight away.
Here’s why you need to vote for The Woodland Project!
Thank you all for the support #TheWoodlandProject
Offering support to children with learning disabilities, their families and young people!