Hope's Therapy Dogs

10/12/2025

As Christmas lights twinkle and the dogs position themselves very helpfully near the turkey 😇🐾, I’ve been looking back on this year with a lot of gratitude.
2025 brought some big changes and some tough moments for Hope’s Therapy Dogs – but also some incredible highlights:
• winning the EVAS Award for Health & Wellbeing
• telling our story on BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Lancashire and UCB Radio
• welcoming a wonderful new staff team who live and breathe our heart for children, young people and dogs
• weathering school budget cuts and still finding ourselves standing strong as we move into 2026
I’ve written a new Christmas blog sharing more of that journey and saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has stood with us this year:
👉 We wish you a Christmas filled with Joy…
https://www.hopestherapydogs.co.uk/.../we-wish-you-a...
Huge thanks to , Ambassadors, the and the team, including Coral Horn, Julianna Woods, , the , Amy Summerfield Matt Summerfield, for cheering us on and opening doors for us this year.
To all of our schools, NHS partners and workplaces we’ve worked with: we are so grateful for you.
If you find that your children, young people or staff need extra emotional support in the New Year, please remember – we’re here, and we’d love to help where we can.
Wishing you a joy-filled Christmas and a New Year full of gentle surprises and fresh courage. 🎄💛

09/12/2025

This could have been the year we faded away. Instead, we gathered to celebrate. 🌟

2024 brought some big changes we never asked for – people moving on, tough moments, and a few curveballs out of our control.

But this little team chose to stand together.
Different strengths. Different stories.
One heart: bringing hope and healing to children and young people. 🐾💛

Because of them (and our amazing dogs), children across the North West have found a safe place to breathe, talk, play and heal.

To every school, SENCO, pastoral lead, HR team and NHS partner who has trusted us this year – thank you. You’re part of this story too.

Merry Christmas from Hope’s Therapy Dogs. Here’s to more hope, more healing and more wagging tails in 2026. 🎄✨

05/12/2025

28/11/2025

🎙️ We’ve been on the radio! 🐶💛

Pippa and I recently had the huge privilege of appearing on BBC Radio Lancashire, sharing a little bit about Hope’s Therapy Dogs and the incredible children and young people we’re honoured to support.

This reel gives you a tiny peek behind the scenes 👇
If you’d like to have a listen to the full interview, you can check it out here:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRmlNaCjUVx/?igsh=MTZxNWc3N2NmN3Q0MA==

Thank you for every like, share, prayer and word of encouragement – it all helps us keep bringing hope and healing through our therapy dogs.

24/11/2025

✨ We’re on the radio today – talking about our EVAS win! ✨

I’m live on BBC Radio Lancashire today on the Daytime Show with Sharon Hartley – and yes, Pippa the therapy dog is coming with me 🐾

We’ll be chatting about:
🏆 Our recent EVAS Health & Wellbeing Award win
🚪 How this recognition is opening doors for Hope’s Therapy Dogs
🤝 Our growing social value, ESG and corporate social responsibility outreach with schools, the NHS and corporate partners

If you’re a:
✅ Headteacher, SENCO or pastoral lead
✅ NHS / health & wellbeing lead
✅ HR / People / ESG / CSR lead in an organisation

…and you’re looking for a values-led partner to support:
• Staff wellbeing and burnout prevention
• Children and young people’s mental health
• Meaningful, measurable social value and ESG impact

…I’d love you to listen in and then connect.

📻 Tune in: BBC Radio Lancashire – Daytime Show with Sharon Hartley
🐶 Guests: Me (Ali, Founder of Hope’s Therapy Dogs) & Pippa the therapy dog

If our story sparks ideas for your school, team or organisation, drop me an email at ali@hopestherapydogs.co.uk – I’d be delighted to explore how we can work together. 💬

ChildrensMentalHealth StaffWellbeing BBCRadioLancashire TherapyDogs

24/11/2025

✨ We’re on the radio today – talking about our EVAS win! ✨

I’m live on BBC Radio Lancashire today on the Daytime Show with Sharon Hartley – and yes, Pippa the therapy dog is coming with me 🐾

We’ll be chatting about:
🏆 Our recent EVAS Health & Wellbeing Award win
🚪 How this recognition is opening doors for Hope’s Therapy Dogs
🤝 Our growing social value, ESG and corporate social responsibility outreach with schools, the NHS and corporate partners

If you’re a:
✅ Headteacher, SENCO or pastoral lead
✅ NHS / health & wellbeing lead
✅ HR / People / ESG / CSR lead in an organisation

…and you’re looking for a values-led partner to support:
• Staff wellbeing and burnout prevention
• Children and young people’s mental health
• Meaningful, measurable social value and ESG impact

…I’d love you to listen in and then connect.

📻 Tune in: BBC Radio Lancashire – Daytime Show with Sharon Hartley
🐶 Guests: Me (Ali, Founder of Hope’s Therapy Dogs) & Pippa the therapy dog

If our story sparks ideas for your school, team or organisation, drop me an email at ali@hopestherapydogs.co.uk – I’d be delighted to explore how we can work together. 💬

23/11/2025

Pawsome Adventures with Katie have been amazing and are selling calendars for Christmas, the proceeds of which will all go to Hope's Therapy Dogs - we are so thankful Katie!!! 🤗🤗

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE A VALUES LED BUSINESS AND NOT A CHARITY - I wouldn’t like there to be a misunderstanding 🤗🤗

🎄☃️ Donation calendar for sale ☃️🎄

£12.50, all profits go directly to Hope's Therapy Dogs

Our calendar features all of my gorgeous dogs in many of my favorite pictures across the year. Each month is a collage of different photos so each of my dogs are included multiple times throughout the 12 months 🐶

30/10/2025

This happens when professionally delivered therapy dog programmes enter schools, NHS settings, and workplaces:

🧠 Cortisol levels drop by up to 50% within 20 minutes of interaction
💙 Blood pressure and heart rate decrease measurably, the body physically shifts out of stress response
🎯 Anxiety scores reduce significantly, often where other interventions have plateaued
🗣️ Communication barriers break down, children who haven't spoken begin to engage
👥 Social connection improves, isolated individuals find a bridge back to their teams
📈 Attendance increases, students and staff show up more consistently
⏱️ The effects last, benefits extend well beyond the session itself

But here's what matters most:
These aren't just statistics.
They're the teacher who can finally get through their day without feeling overwhelmed.
The student who walks into school instead of refusing.
The NHS worker who remembers why they chose this profession.
The team that rediscovers what it feels like to be human together.

Professional therapy dog programmes don't just "help people feel better."
They create measurable shifts in:
→ Emotional regulation
→ Social engagement
→ Stress resilience
→ Workplace culture
→ Educational outcomes
→ Staff retention
All while maintaining the highest standards of safety, ethics, and animal welfare.

This isn't a luxury.
It's evidence-based wellbeing intervention that works.

If your school, NHS team, or organisation is serious about supporting mental health and creating environments where people can actually thrive,
This is what that looks like in practice.
Not another app. Not another poster campaign. Not another resilience workshop.
Real connection. Real regulation. Real results.

Ready to explore what this could look like in your setting?

Let's talk: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/free-value-session-with-alison-colley
Question for you:
Which of these outcomes would matter most in your environment right now?

28/10/2025

When I first started talking to organisations about therapy dog programmes, I heard the same things again and again:

“It sounds lovely, but too complicated.”
“We don’t have the budget.”
“We’d never get leadership buy-in.”

And yet, every single organisation that went ahead discovered something unexpected:

- The ROI is measurable (reduced sickness, higher morale, calmer spaces).
- The setup was simpler than anyone imagined.
- The impact? Instant.
- People are still talking about it months later.

The truth?
The barrier wasn’t the process.
It was the assumption about the process.

Because when wellbeing is non-negotiable, when burnout is real, and teams are running on empty, doing nothing is actually the most expensive option of all.

So if your people need this (and I suspect they do), what’s it really costing you to wait?

💬 Let’s have a conversation, no pressure, just clarity.

Book a time with me: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/free-value-session-with-alison-colley

24/10/2025

"What about allergies? Insurance? Safety protocols?"
If you're an HR leader or facilities manager, these are probably your first questions.
And they should be.
Here's the reality:
Every organization we work with asks the same things:

What if someone's allergic?
What's the liability?
How do we ensure safety?
What about our specific environment?

We don't just have answers. We have systems.

Every session is:
✅ Fully risk-assessed for your specific space
✅ Comprehensively insured
✅ Adapted to your environment and team needs
✅ Designed with safety protocols for both humans and dogs

This isn't a casual "bring dogs to work" day.

It's a professional wellbeing service with the same rigor you'd expect from any workplace initiative.

Because we know that for you to say yes, you need more than "it'll be great."
You need documentation. Protocols. Risk mitigation. Clear processes.
You need to know this won't create problems while solving one.

That's exactly what we provide.
Swipe through for the practical details ➡️

HR and workplace leaders: What's your biggest concern when considering new wellbeing initiatives? Let's address it in the comments 👇

23/10/2025

Just 45 minutes of safe, soft, authentic connection.

And weeks later?

They're still talking about it.

Not because it was fun (though it was).

Because something fundamental changed in how they felt with each other.

That's emotional safety taking root.

Not over months of programming.
In one session.

Because sometimes what teams need most isn't another initiative.

It's permission to be human together.

Swipe to see what creates that shift ➡️

Question for leaders: What's created genuine connection moments in your workplace? Drop your experience below 👇