Growing Me CIC

14/11/2025

Our next Making Day will be 21st November 10am-2pm

😁 Meet new and lovely people

🖍️ Help make up toolkits - full instructions given

📖 Learn techniques that will support the families you care about

🍰 Lunch and cake provided

Do let me know if you are planning on coming!

12/11/2025

From a young age we’re teaching children about healthy and balanced diets – but how can we help teach them about healthy and balanced online habits? Here’s some top tips:

👀 Watch and play together
🕒 Set gentle screen time routines
💬 Talk about what they’re seeing
🌳 Make time for offline play

For more tips and info visit the NSPCC website 👇
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/online-wellbeing/

11/11/2025

Today I’d like to share how much I love being an adopter!

There’s an ever growing shortage of adopters in the UK. These incredible children are waiting longer than ever to find new families. Humans (with the help of social media) tend to amplify the difficult stories, and in this case, it seems it might be putting off potential adopters from coming forward. Whilst my experience of adoption includes ups and downs, it is overwhelmingly full of hope and positivity.

Ofcourse, I can only speak from my own experience, but I also know of many adoptive families who share in my enthusiasm.

Children (and their parents!) are wonderfully complicated and beautiful beings, made up of many parts. Childhood trauma leaves a lasting scar, which can permeate many of these parts. And yet, the whole person is so, so much more. In my experience, whilst trauma will always be there, it is in the driving seat less and less as our relationship grows. And when both child and adult are able to let more playful, loving and creative parts take charge, life can be full of precious moments of love, and silly, imaginative fun.

My life is infinitely richer for having adopted. And there is some incredible support out there too (in particular, there’s this new toolkit called Growing Me which I’ve heard is pretty helpful! 😜)

07/11/2025

Come and visit us!

Banks Mill, where Growing Me is based is having an Open Studio Event in a few weeks time. The Growing Me studio will be open, and you can come and have a play with the toolkit, and get tips, tricks and resources about bringing therapeutic practice into the everyday!

You can also find out more about volunteering with us. Volunteering with Growing Me is a lot of fun: we provide lunch and cake and therapeutic knowledge, as well as full instructions of various tasks, folding, wrapping and collating toolkits. We're always on the lookout for volunteer stitchers and makers to help us put together toolkits, either through our scheduled Making Days or regular weekly slots.

Hope to see you there!

05/11/2025

Bonfire Night can be overwhelming for many children with SEND. Here are three practical strategies to help your child cope:

1. Create a Safe Space
Set up a calm, sensory-friendly zone at home with blankets, headphones, and comfort items. Let your child know they can retreat there whenever needed. Consider noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders to reduce auditory overload.

2. Prepare and Preview
Use social stories or visual schedules to explain what will happen on November 5th. Watch videos of fireworks at low volume during the day so your child knows what to expect. Knowledge reduces anxiety.

3. Control the Experience
You don't have to attend public displays. Consider watching fireworks from a distance, viewing them through a window, or skipping them entirely. If you do go out, arrive early to secure a good spot away from the loudest areas, and have an exit plan ready.

Remember: there's no "right" way to experience Bonfire Night. Do what works for your child and your family.

What strategies work for you? Share your tips in the comments below.

04/11/2025

Meet our two new and fantastic volunteers, Oluseyi and K**e, who are currently working very hard with Me Tree making...

If you're interested in volunteering, do get in touch!

04/11/2025

Speaking to care home managers as part of Children's Homes Quality's Managers Monthly Meetings last week about what is important when delivering Therapeutic Life Story Work (TLSW), it was great to hear how much love and care is happening for the young people in their care.

Growing Me gives the adults who know their young people best the tools and the confidence to explore TLSW - because for many children, it is only these people that they would feel comfortable and able to open up to.

It turns Growing Me aligns with the core regulations and standards in Children's Homes pretty well... here's the 9 core standards and how Growing Me links in!

31/10/2025

We still have som Discount Cards for Foster Families and Families of Children with additional needs left 🎉

ONLY FOR £3

The Max Card is the UK’s leading discount card for foster families and families of children with additional needs. It gives you free or discounted admission at venues across the UK – from castles and zoos to bowling alleys, trampoline parks and more!

💡 Why now? This special offer is due to the 1-year expiry date - 31st October 2026. Don’t miss your chance to save money on amazing days out!

🔗 Search for great days out and get your Max Card here:
https://umbrella.uk.net/EventBooking/max-card-fs/

29/10/2025

Super excited to be invited to speak at www.childrenshomesquality.com Managers Monthly MeetUps tomorrow morning. We'll be exploring Therapeutic Life Story Work and how important it is for all of us to let the sunshine in!

Together we can unlock the potential of children’s homes to be incredible places for children to live and thrive, and be a true foundation for successful and happy adult lives.

29/10/2025

💭 Nobody ever feels truly ready to be a parent, and that’s okay.

In a recent survey, over half of adoptive adults agreed: the journey into parenting is full of unknowns.

There will be ups and downs, challenges and surprises, but adopting a child in need of a forever home can bring the most unexpected and beautiful joys.

If you’ve ever considered adoption, know that you don’t have to be perfect just open-hearted.

Find out more about adoption ⤵️
https://adoptioneastmidlands.org.uk/about/about-adoption/

Attend one of our adoption events ⤵️
https://adoptioneastmidlands.org.uk/events/

20/10/2025

https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/94803

The Co-op Local Community Fund is supporting Growing Me. Become a member or sign in to choose a local cause to support.

20/10/2025

It's slightly out of season for butterflies here in rainy Derbyshire, but I found this doodle that I did a while ago and it got me thinking about connecting through creativity. Whether picking outfits together for a night out, building together in Minecraft, or creating music and art, creative expression is a really fun way to explore what we're about, and communicate authentically with each other.

For those who have experienced trauma, there can be a lot of complicated feelings to unpick, and sharing these feelings with others can be really tough.

Having a creative outlet, can be a lifeline. A way to explore identity, and belonging in a way that's manageable. Words are often the language of adults: Growing Me works on the principle that for many children, play and creativity are more effective methods of communication. And therapy should happen in the language a child feels most comfortable. Understanding, and learning to communicate in the unique language of your child takes time and patience, but those who know the child best are often best placed to help, and the benefits are huge!