We're still collecting donations
On the 7th May 2020 we'd raised £232 with 7 supporters in 41 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
To help keep my small business operational so I can continue to support the mental health of families at this difficult time
by Samantha McCormick in Newton Aycliffe, England, United Kingdom
On the 7th May 2020 we'd raised £232 with 7 supporters in 41 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
I'm Sam and I have been a Relax Kids Coach for 4 years, and am a single mum to two children Jamie (11) and Leah (7). I love working so closely with children and families to help them better manage their emotions and generally live a calmer, happier life. I have successfully moved my lessons online and have a fantastic membership group with plentiful resources and parents that support each other. This is going really well, and I have had good feedback:
Here's some of the feedback I have had recently, both before and after lockdown:
Emma: "Loved it, I need to finish it off actually as I started to doze during the breathing! "
Sara: "My son was struggling with his emotions at school. He worked with Sam on a 1 to 1 basis for a few weeks and learned techniques to keep him calm. He is still anxious about new settings and new people but he knows what to do when he feels under pressure and still uses those strategies several months later. Thank you. I wouldn't hesitate to call on you again. "
Vanessa: "I'm really pleased- have managed to get some time to myself every day! Different amounts from 10 minutes to a while 40 minutes reading a book on my own yesterday! Unknown usually. Also, I've managed to watch all 5 episodes of the Kirstie Allsopp crafting show and am part way through making a cushion. Wouldn't have done any of that if it wasn't for this group. Thank you Sam. Looking forward to tonight's session "
Mary: "I think the work Sam does with the kids is absolutely amazing! I believe if we start building our kids up from a young age and teach them techniques to cope with life then we are giving them a solid foundation, and this is exactly what Sam does for our children! "
Sarah-Jane: "Holly had the best night sleep last week after the session last week. It definitely calmed her before bed which was just what she needed. "
I am offering membership to my private group and access to all of this weekly:
I'll share with you a little video my son put together for me
What Relax Kids looks and feels like
I currently have zero income (and two very hungry mouths to feed) and am struggling to cover all my business expenses.
I have my regular business outgoings such as licence fees, insurance etc but because of the change in the format of my lessons I have needed to add extra cover to my insurance, upgrade my home internet and pay for subscriptions to online services such as Zoom ( I have far too much to offer to be limited to 40mins!)
As the majority of my work is in schools, my work stopped as soon as schools closed their doors to external visitors! I'm concerned about the children who were having regular visits from me and learning ways to manage their emotions, control their fears and anxieties and look after their own wellbeing. I wanted to be able to set up a website that could still be accessed by schools and in homes for free so these children can continue to have periods of calm in their lives, particularly at this really stressful time.
My aim is to continue to develop this website, upgrade the domain and support package so that I'm not depending on external hosts for videos for example, and to be able to continue this as a free resource for all families at this time.
The work I do with children in schools is equally well received as private work, the children respond well and I'm hoping they will continue to access the skills they've already learned to help them through this difficult time.
Absolutely, I have currently 4 school pupils who I was previously working with who are accessing my sessions due to donations from others.
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