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Looking after yourself over Christmas

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Christmas…it’s not always the most wonderful time of the year.
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Sometimes it can be difficult, and you might not feel festive but that’s ok.
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We’ve put together some tips on how to look after yourself over the Christmas period, and who you can get support from if you’re struggling.
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Please look after yourself and have a lovely Christmas.

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For those that don’t celebrate Christmas, but still have time off over this period, keep yourself safe and if you are struggling please seek support. You can find year-round support services on our website at www.willowproject.com
#christmas #support #willowproject 

Competition Time!

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Willow are hosting a photography competition for young people, to show us what self-care means to you!

We are asking for creative photos that reflect self-care. All photographs will be used on our social media platforms for #willowswellbeingwednesdays, with a main winner selected by Willow’s Young Person Ambassadors to win a paintballing voucher worth £100!!

One entry per person to be sent to sadie@willowproject.com

Good luck!

Comedy Night

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Fancy a night of laughter? Well, on Thursday 20th June at 7:30pm, Willow will be hosting a joint comedy night fundraiser at East Leigh Labour Club.  

This fundraiser is being held to support Willow Project, a counselling charity for 6 -19 year olds and their families, who are struggling with emotional and mental health needs, & also to help raise funds for Sadie and Emma, who are going on a 4-week Mental Health placement in Indonesia.

Four fantastic comedians • Award-winning Mental Health comedy

Bake sale • Raffle • Licensed bar

Tickets are £15

*Must be 16 and above*

If you want to buy a ticket(s) or donate to one of the causes, please get in touch using one the contact options from the website!

See you at East Leigh Labour Club (WN7 3AE) on 20th June 2019 at 7:30pm!

Mental Health Matters: Fundraiser for Willow

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For those that follow us on social media, you may have seen that a fundraiser was being held in aid of Willow on 24th August at Atherton Botanical Gardens. The fundraiser was organised by Becki, Scott and Ellie; a family that have dealt first hand with the impacts of severe mental health issues, that want to help raise awareness and show people that help is out there. 
“People close to us will understand how much hard work it has been for us as a family in the past 12 months and how severe mental health impacts on all family members and education” – Ellie’s Mum, Becki
Ellie has shared her story with many, including in an article in the Leigh Journal. Her journey is incredible and she now wants to help raise awareness of mental health. To do this the family aimed to find a local charity that helped people struggling with poor mental health, and chose to support us; which is fantastic.
“It has been a really tough year for Ellie but she wanted to do something to help other people who may be suffering alone. It is about making people aware that something like this can change your life in a matter of months and that there is support out there if they need it” – Ellie’s Mum, Becki
There was a DJ, a local band called Nostalgia, a raffle, an auction, a ‘guess the teddy bear’, face painting and a buffet. It was a real success, and everyone appeared to have a great time! They did a fantastic job in organising the event in aid of Willow Project, and Ellie’s story added a personal touch to raising awareness which helps show everyone that it’s ok to talk and it’s ok to not be ok. 
It’s important to talk to someone you trust and to listen to both yourself and to others. 
We are so grateful for the support and proud of Ellie for her bravery in speaking out about her own story to try and help others who may be going through something similar. We want to say a massive thank you to Scott and Becki for organising the event, to all the people that attended the event and helped raise money, and most importantly to Ellie for sharing her incredible story.
Willow x

 

If you feel that you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or emotional issues, you can fill out a referral form in our Referral section which will get sent straight to us to be put on the waiting list to see a counsellor. 

Willow’s Kayaking Adventure

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Willow’s Kayaking Adventure

Last Wednesday we ventured out to the Water Adventure Centre (WAC) in Droylsden with the young people from the Monday Group. For those that haven’t heard of it before, it’s a registered charity that offer a certain amount of free sessions for youth and community groups, of up to 15 people aged 8 and above.

We hopped into a minibus, with a bag full of drinks and snacks for the journey and headed out to Droylsden. After a taxi journey full of laughter and story-telling we scoped out the water adventure centre and met our kayak instructor, Mike, before heading out for some food. With 2 hours to spare before the activity we settled down in The Beehive Inn, for a diet coke and some hot food. The food was delicious, and the staff were so friendly!

Once we had eaten and finished our drinks we walked back to the centre, singing songs from musicals; from Hairspray to the Greatest Showman. We were all really excited as we put our buoyancy aids on and were told about the activity ahead. Mike explained (through jokes and puns) how to get into the kayak and the rules that went alongside kayaking in the canal and then told us all to grab a kayak. Karen and I stood beside the young people as they got into their kayaks; all of them independent and not wanting help which was fantastic! Karen overcame a fear of the water by getting into a kayak and trying it out; an amazing step for her and something we are all extremely proud of.

The session was amazing for confidence-building, team work and raising the young people’s self-esteem. The laughter rippled up the canal as they were racing, jumping and splashing about. They were also very intuitive and creative with their games and water challenges. Sad faces emerged when we were told there were 5 minutes left of the session; the young people asked if we could book to go again soon! A massive success and an incredible experience. We were so proud of our group for not only the way they behaved but also for how they stepped out of their comfort zone, challenged themselves and looked out for each other.

Thank you to WAC for letting us come kayaking; we can’t wait for our next visit! Most of all, we want to thank our young people for making it such a great day!

Willow x

 

Here are some photos from our day out

 

 

 

We raised the roof!

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Hi All,

This is WIllow’s first blog post… how exciting!?

So, Friday night was our 2018 Fundraiser for the Summer. The turn out was incredible and we raised £1,127.25 ! How fantastic?

The band were incredible, check them out on Facebook, they had everyone dancing! Louby Lou did a fantastic job entertaining the children, making them all laugh!

We couldn’t have done it without the support from everyone on the night, including the members from our Support Group who played a major role in helping out!

Willow x

 

 

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