A Positive Start CIC

11/03/2026

For the children 👇

S is for Stop when I’m feeling wild
T is for Think — I’m a mindful child
A is for Act with kindness and care
N is for Never
D - Don’t doubt what I share

My heart gives direction,
It helps me see.
STAND makes me stronger —
it’s guiding me.

🎵 From our River Room Songbook collaboration
with Chrissy Sykes and the MBIMB Foundation

Together we help children learn about feelings, safety, and finding their voice.

https://youtu.be/IiV6YjTJ0bo

⸻

For the adults 👇

STAND – Parents as Protectors

A safeguarding programme helping parents understand:

• how grooming happens
• how perpetrators target families
• how to recognise early warning signs
• how to create safe environments where children feel able to speak

When children feel safe to STAND and share,
adults must be ready to listen, protect, and act.

In partnership with Safeguarding Fundamentals and A Positive Start CIC.

Because safeguarding children starts with informed, aware, and courageous adults.

Welcome to The River Room Songbook – where music builds emotional strength and self-trust.“STAND” is an empowering, body-based song that teaches children how...

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

08/03/2026

It’s wonderful to see the latest newsletter from the Foundation celebrating the many people around the world who are working to help children grow up safe, confident, and protected.

I’m honoured that the work we’ve been doing here in the Scottish Borders with A Positive Start CIC — through the and school tour — is featured in this edition.

Bringing together music, movement, body safety education and emotional regulation has been a joyful way to help children learn about safety, consent and self-worth in a way that feels engaging and empowering.

A heartfelt thank you to Chrissy Sykes and the community for the incredible work they do across the world, and to the many ambassadors, educators and partners who continue to share this important message.

When communities come together with kindness and purpose, we can create environments where children feel safe, valued and heard.

If you have a moment, I encourage you to read the newsletter and discover the inspiring work happening across the global community 🌎

Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

08/03/2026

🎶 Continuing our River Room Songbook & My Body Is My Body School Tour 🎶
We’re really looking forward to our upcoming visit to Edenside Primary School in Kelso as part of the River Room Songbook & My Body Is My Body ( ) tour, bringing music, movement and meaningful conversations about emotional wellbeing and body safety to children across the Scottish Borders.
Through joyful songs and simple activities, we introduce children to ideas such as:
🌱 recognising their own value and uniqueness
🎵 calming and regulating their bodies through rhythm and movement
🛡️ understanding body autonomy and consent
💬 feeling confident to use their voice
During the session, we will share songs from the River Room Songbook, including “I Am Special” and The Tapping Song, which introduces the concept of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in a simple and child-friendly way to help children understand how they can calm their bodies when they feel overwhelmed.
We will also introduce songs from the internationally recognised My Body Is My Body programme, including “My Body Is My Body” and “Say No to Secrets”, helping children learn about body safety and trusted communication in a positive and empowering way.
I’m delighted to be delivering these sessions alongside and , and incredibly grateful to , Elite & Excellence Lead at (Scottish Borders Council), whose support and coordination have made these school visits possible.
✨ Following a very positive meeting with , we are also excited to be exploring ways of working alongside moving forward… watch this space.







Chrissy Sykes

06/03/2026

Continuing with our theme — challenging victim blaming and promoting harm reduction.

This next series focuses on something we often overlook: the language we use to describe human behaviour.

Too often behaviours shaped by trauma are labelled as:

“Attention seeking”
“Manipulative”
“Difficult”
“Too sensitive”
“Overreacting”

But when we understand trauma and the nervous system, many of these behaviours are actually survival adaptations — responses learned in environments where safety, trust or connection were missing.

This trauma-informed series invites us to flip the script, moving from judgement to understanding and from blame to curiosity.

Because behaviour is communication.
And the nervous system is always trying to protect.

Being trauma informed is not simply a training course you complete — it’s a way of being.
It’s about how we see people, how we speak to them, and how we respond when someone is struggling.

When we shift our language, we shift how people are seen, how they are treated, and how safe they feel.

And safety is where healing begins.

Trauma-informed language matters.

Let us know which poster resonates with you most. 🙏







A Positive Start CIC

06/03/2026