............
MAY 2023
Ukraine’s First Free Tackling Trauma Website Launched by The Crysalys Foundation to help People with Trauma Understanding, Self-help and Recovery
The Crysalys Foundation is delighted to announce the launch of its new free Tackling Trauma Ukraine Боротьба з травмою website, targeting trauma-experienced Ukrainian people, their families as well as community practitioners and professionals trying to help them in the UK.
https://borotba-travma-ukraina.com/
A grant award and partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund has funded the website development since mid-2022. The website is the first of its kind for Ukraine and complements the free UK website resources, Tackling Trauma www.tackling–trauma.com that was launched in England in April 2021 and Taclo Trawma Cymru www.taclo-trawma-cymru.com launched in Wales in December 2022.
The new site provides trauma-informed multi—media including information and self-help resources for all ages as well as training videos. The Crysalys Foundation has been developing free digital trauma resources since 2020 to increase trauma understanding, recovery and resilience. This is timely given the traumatic impacts of the war in Ukraine, Covid-19 and the cost of living crisis that is affecting thousands of people especially those who were already in adversity and poverty.
Jane Deamer, Development Manager for The Crysalys Foundation writes:
“The new website will prove to be life-line for many Ukrainian people and those supporting them, who cannot access other help or are on waiting lists for mental health services. Боротьба з травмою is another step towards opening up trauma prevention, reduction, mitigation and treatment. The site is not meant to replace the statutory mental health offer but will be useful for lower level self-help, to complement or be used alongside other interventions as a 24/7 - 365 option or when other services are closed. Free digital health resources are critical to increasing wellbeing and we know most people can access online, social media and apps. We hope the site reaches 1000’s of refugees in the UK and displaced Ukrainians in other countries.’
End.
Notes:
The Crysalys Foundation is a UK charity, a registered charity in England and Wales dedicated to improving the lives and outcomes for disadvantaged families and supporting other charities. The charity is currently particularly interested in preventing, reducing, mitigating and treating trauma especially childhood trauma. The charity has a board of six trustees, self-employed part-time: Development Manager; Psychotherapist / Trauma Specialist; Psychotherapist / Trainer; plus, a small team of volunteers.
In April 2021 the charity launched its free UK digital Tackling Trauma project www.tackling-trauma.com and subsequently the Tackling Trauma Together project to engage cross-sector partners. In December 2022 the charity: launched its Tackling Trauma Wales - Taclo Trawma Cymru website; distributed Star Cuddle Cushions to traumatised children in the UK so they had a soft and huggable physical resource alongside the digital resources of Tackling Trauma; and set out to create a, ‘Star’s Journey to Earth,’ therapeutic children’s story book. In 2023 the charity will be launching new Poverty and War Trauma pages on the Tackling Trauma website and developing more projects and services. The Tackling Trauma platforms have had over 20,000 visits, Tackling Trauma Together has engaged over 200 UK partners and over 1500 Star Cuddle Cushions distributed to 40+ UK organisations helping traumatised children.
For further presser details please contact:
Development Manager, Jane Deamer
jane@crysalys.org M: 07495 539611
APRIL 2023
Youth Court Solutions Impact Report
We are pleased to present our Youth Court Solutions Impact Report which details the success of the 1 year pilot project from October 2021 to September 2022. The project met and exceeded all targets and outcomes and is clearly a proven model for a range of meaningful at-youth-court interventions for youth defendants and their families. We’re pleased to share that the YCS project continues into 2023 and beyond with support from The Linder Foundation and a private donor.
#thecrysalysfoundation
#thelinderfoundation
#youthcourtsolutions
#wellingboroughmagistratescourt
#criminaljusticesystem
#youthcrime
#crime
#ukcrime
DECEMBER 2022
Star Helping Children at Nottinghamshire SARC
10 Stars now have a new home at the Children and Young People’s Suite at Nottingham Queens Medical Centre.
The Star cuddle cushions will be helping trauma-experienced children at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
Pictured below (from left) are Amanda and Ann representing the centre and then Crysalys’ Psychotherapist, Yvette Lambe, and Development Manager, Jane Deamer.
Youth Court Solutions success features in Centre for Justice Innovation Case Study
https://justiceinnovation.org/project/youth-court-solutions
CJI are recognising the achievements of our YCS 1-year pilot project and sharing them across the UK.
The YCS project was initially funded by The Crysalys Foundation and Service Six and then by The Linder Foundation from April 2022.
Huge thank you to CJI who helped us in the development and launch of the project in 2021.
Free website to help people with trauma launches today in Wales
Wales’ first, free, bilingual website aimed at tackling trauma launches today, designed by charity, The Crysalys Foundation.
The new site is a resource for trauma experienced people and their families as well as the community practitioners and professionals who are supporting them across Wales.
The site has been developed with a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund.
The website at https://taclo-trawma-cymru.com is the first of its kind in Wales and complements the free website resource, Tackling Trauma https://tackling-trauma.com which was launched in England in April 2021.
The new site offers bilingual information, videos and self-help resources for all ages as well as training webinars for professionals working with people with trauma. For example, in November 2022 the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Gwent used the site as part of their free trauma training session aimed at people working in education.
The Crysalys Foundation has been developing free digital trauma resources since 2020 to increase trauma understanding, recovery and resilience. The Crysalys Foundation successfully applied for a £10,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to develop a bilingual resource to address the traumatic impacts of Covid-19 and the cost of living crisis which is especially affecting people already living in adversity and poverty.
Lansio Gwefan rhad ac am ddim i bobl â thrawma yng Nghymru
Mae gwefan ddwyieithog, rhad ac am ddim cyntaf Cymru yn cael ei lansio heddiw, wedi’i ddylunio gan yr elusen, The Crysalys Foundation.
Mae’r wefan newydd yn adnodd ar gyfer pobl sydd wedi profi trawma a’u teuluoedd, yn ogystal ag ymarferwyr cymunedol a gweithwyr proffesiynol sy’n eu cefnogi ledled Cymru.
Mae’r safle wedi’i ddatblygu gyda grant gan Gronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol.
Dyma’r wefan gyntaf o’i fath yng Nghymru, https://taclo-trawma-cymru.com/
, ac mae’n ategu’r wefan arall, sydd hefyd yn rhad ac am ddim, Tackling Trauma https://tackling-trauma.com a lansiwyd yn Lloegr ym mis Ebrill 2021.
Mae’r wefan newydd hon yn cynnig gwybodaeth ddwyieithog, fideos ac adnoddau hunangymorth i bob oed, yn ogystal â gweminarau hyfforddi ar gyfer gweithwyr proffesiynol sy’n gweithio gyda phobl â thrawma. Er enghraifft, ym mis Tachwedd 2022, defnyddiodd y Gwasanaethau Iechyd Meddwl Plant a’r Glasoed (CAMHS) yng Ngwent y safle fel rhan o’u sesiwn hyfforddiant trawma rhad ac am ddim wedi’i hanelu at bobl sy’n gweithio ym myd addysg.
Mae Sefydliad Crysalys wedi bod yn datblygu adnoddau trawma digidol am ddim ers 2020 i gynyddu dealltwriaeth trawma, adferiad a gwytnwch. Gwnaeth Sefydliad Crysalys gais llwyddiannus am grant o £10,000 gan Gronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol i ddatblygu adnodd dwyieithog i fynd i’r afael ag effeithiau trawmatig Covid-19 a’r argyfwng costau byw sy’n effeithio’n arbennig ar bobl sydd eisoes yn byw mewn adfyd a thlodi.
OCTOBER 2022
New Volunteer
Welcome to our new volunteer, Connie Penn! Who is helping us with mapping existing community assets and services to aid our projects to help traumatised people in the UK. Connie is a corporate consultant with a particular interest in youth music.
SEPTEMBER 2022
Crysalys Celebrates 3 Years of Impact!
A huge THANK YOU to Alex Goldsmith and all at Medigold Healthcare for sponsoring our event!
Last night team Crysalys and 40 guests celebrated 3 years of charitable achievements. The event highlighted the huge progress and outcomes in the UK in a short space of time and featured Crysalys’ very own celebratory, Star!
Speakers included: Professor of Child Advocacy, Eunice Lumsden; Psychotherapist, Yvette Lambe; Mr David Laing L-L (Retd); H.M Lord Lieutenant James Saunders Watson; Crysalys Chair, Associate Professor Adrian Pryce DL; and Crysalys Development Manager, Jane Deamer. Guests were entertained by Saxophonist, Saryu Thakrar and Singer, Afreine. The event was held at The Leatherseller’s Hide. Learning Hub, University of Northampton.
AUGUST 2022
Tackling Trauma Youth App Article In National Counselling Society - Counselling Matters
The August edition of the National Counselling Society’s, Counselling Matters, features a 2-page spread on The Crysalys Foundation’s Tackling Trauma projects. The article focus was our recent launch of a new free web app targeted at young people and focused on trauma understanding, self-help recovery and resilience.
It’s great for us to get this level of national media and share our ambitions towards Tackling Trauma in the UK. The article also features a great photo of our Star Cuddle Cushions at therapy charity, Service Six!
The youth app is free to access, includes info and a wide range of multi-media self-help tools. The app aims to: improve health and wellbeing: increase trauma understanding, recovery and resilience.
The app is desktop and mobile compatible.
The app can be used alongside the free Tackling Trauma website
which includes information, resources, self-help and a directory on trauma for children, young people, parents / carers, adults, community practitioners and professionals. Tackling Trauma also has 3 new free webinars on: What is Trauma?; Supporting Professionals who work with Traumatised People; and A Guide for Therapeutic Practitioners.
https://tackling-trauma.com/traumatraining.html
Star meets CRASAC CEO in Coventry
Star is really getting about! Meeting Natalie Thompson, fantastic CEO of Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre and Board member of Rape Crisis.
CRASAC provides a range of support and therapeutic services to adults and children. It’s great to have another wonderful partner helping with Tackling Trauma. Star will be helping some of CRASAC’s 1000’s beneficiaries in the West Midlands who are survivors of rape, sexual violence and sexual abuse and helping us to include an, Abuse Trauma, page on the Tackling Trauma platform in 2023. www.tackling-trauma.com
Star meets Survivor’s Trust CEO in Rugby
Stars get about! Today Star and our Manager, Jane, (right) met, Fay Maxted (left), fantastic CEO of The Survivor’s Trust at their HQ in Rugby. The Trust is a new partner in our work Tackling Trauma and Star will be helping some of the 120+ Trust member organisations across the UK and their thousands of beneficiaries who are survivors of rape, sexual violence and sexual abuse.
Please love / heart our post to show your support
Latest Youth Court Solutions Report
The YCS project is going from strength to strength as we enter the final quarter of the 1-year pilot. We have met and exceeded all targets and outcomes plus achieved added value outcomes. The latest infographic reports are available here
New National Lottery Community Fund Grant to fund new Tackling War and Poverty Trauma project
The Crysalys Foundation has just received a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All to translate our Tackling Trauma website into Ukrainian and to create new War and Poverty Trauma pages. The new free resources will provide free digital multi-media information, tools and self-help towards improving wellbeing, increasing trauma understanding and resilience. There will be a new Ukrainian translation of the existing Tackling Trauma website www..tackling-trauma.com and 2 new bespoke pages on War and Poverty. The project will take start in July and run until at least June 2023 engaging 20+ UK partners and reaching 5000+ beneficiaries. The project has been requested based on the devastating impacts of the cost of living crisis in the UK, the War on Ukraine and associated refugee mental health needs. Tackling Trauma has already reached over 8000 beneficiaries since its launch in 2021 and a Welsh translation, Taclo Trawmag Cymru, will soon be launched.
The Linder Foundation funding Youth Court Solutions project
Last week our Manager, Jane, met with The Linder Foundation Chair, Johnny Fountain and Trustee, Amanda Smith to update them on project progress.
The Linder Foundation are funding our Youth Court Solutions pilot project from April 2022 to March 2023. The YCS project is going really well and set to meet and exceed initial targets and outcomes. A huge THANK YOU to The Linder Foundation for their faith and support for us!
JULY 2022
New Free Tackling Trauma Youth App
Crysalys have launched a new free web app targeted at young people and focused on trauma understanding, self-help recovery and resilience.
The app is free to access, includes info and a wide range of multi-media self-help tools. The app aims to: improve health and wellbeing: increase trauma understanding, recovery and resilience.
The app is desktop and mobile compatible.
The app can be used alongside the free Tackling Trauma website
which includes information, resources, self-help and a directory on trauma for children, young people, parents / carers, adults, community practitioners and professionals. Tackling Trauma also has 3 new free webinars on: What is Trauma?; Supporting Professionals who work with Traumatised People; and A Guide for Therapeutic Practitioners.
https://tackling-trauma.com/traumatraining.html
If you could share this email, post on social media or include in newsletters / journals it would be very greatly appreciated.
APRIL2022
New Free Trauma-Informed Training Webinars
https://tackling-trauma.com/traumatraining.html
Today, The Crysalys Foundation has launched 3 new free trauma-informed multi-media training webinars as part of its Tackling Trauma Together project. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All England, the webinar themes are:
1. What is Trauma? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uri5QrTypM
2. Supporting Practitioners Working with Traumatised People
3. and A Guide for Therapeutic Practitioners
The webinars are in English audio and subtitles, however, as they’re live on our Tackling Trauma YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEC0UT3oCiZIZikbs0_uwA
viewers can select sub-titles in the global language of their choice including Welsh and Ukrainian. The Foundation hopes the webinars are accessed across England, possibly the UK and wider, given the current unprecedented incidents and impacts of trauma created by Covid-19, the Russian War on Ukraine and the cost of living crisis.
Please share this valuable free resource and remember to subscribe to our channel to get all the latest videos. More free trauma-informed information, self-help, resources and a help directory for all ages are available on our interactive multi-media Tackling Trauma website
For more info contact jane@crysalys.org
MARCH 2022
Crysalys distributed another 1000 free Star Cuddle Cushions!
Crysalys distributed another 1000 free Star Cuddle Cushions last week including give-a-ways to the following Northamptonshire organisations for their young traumatised beneficiaries:
Peak Empower
KidsAid
Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service
Modern Human
Northgate Academy
Northamptonshire Children’s Trust
Northamptonshire Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service
Star is a character on our interactive children’s pages at www.tackling-trauma.com who helps to guide children, grown-ups and practitioners through understanding and recovery from trauma. Having a very soft, cuddly Star alongside the digital website resources is proving a real hit with children and parents. Feedback received within 24 hours included from a mum of a 13 year old, ‘My daughter has brought one of the rainbow Star cushions home from school today, as she goes to a special school and is going through some mental health problems at the moment, She is giving the star cushion a cuddle at the moment which is helping her with her tics and anxiety. Thank you.’
Wonderful – happy cuddling everyone!
High Sheriff’s Award for Youth Court Solution’s Manager!
The Crysalys Foundation’s Development Manager, Jane Deamer, was surprised and delighted yesterday after receiving a High Sheriff’s Award from The High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, The Honourable Mrs Amanda Lowther DL. The award was presented at Wellingborough Magistrate’s Court alongside the Chair of the Bench of Magistrates, John Baker JP, county Magistrates including, Dominic Goble DL JP, and members of the YCS team. The award is for Jane’s work since July 2020, leading on the project planning and managing the new Youth Court Solutions project which commenced in October 2021.
YCS is the UK’s 1st at-court youth provision bringing together independent and statutory provision to deliver immediate generic support and diverse specialist services to all county youth defendants, victims, witnesses, family and friends. The YCS delivery team is a partnership between Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service and regional charity, Service Six, with 10 or more practitioners at each county youth court session. The YCS project offers free information, support, brief solution focused therapy, education, substance misuse, accommodation, benefits and health services in one place at one time to capture a wide range of needs for young people and their families.
The Crysalys Foundation was invited by the Northamptonshire County Youth Bench to lead on YCS. Project leadership and Service Six inclusion is now funded by The Linder Foundation with aspirations to transfer the problem-solving model into the UK justice system. NYOS reallocated existing resources and staff in 2021 to become part of the YCS service. With project targets and outcomes already being met and exceeded, the 1-year YCS pilot is going from strength to strength. The High Sheriff’s Award adds formal recognition to the initial success. The Crysalys Foundation and Jane are very grateful for this honour.
Rotary Clubs Northampton ‘100 Not Out’ Event
The Crysalys Foundation’s Development Manager, Jane Deamer, attended a great event organised by 4 Northampton Rotary Clubs on Saturday 5th March at Northampton Cricket Ground. The 100 years anniversary allowed Jane to network with a large number of county, regional and UK organisations especially sharing our Tackling Trauma project www.tackling-trauma.com and introducing everyone to our new Star Cuddle Cushions that we’re piloting in Northamptonshire. Here’s some partner cuddle pics from the day including Northampton Mayor, Councillor Rufia Ashraf, with Star and Jane! Networking included: Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service; Service Six; Celebral Palsy Northamptonshire; Child and Adult Mental Health Services; Home Start Northampton; The LowDown; The Prince’s Trust; Beds, Cambs and Northants Wildlife Trust; The Lewis Foundation; Cynthia Spencer Hospice; Shelter Box; Canine Partners; Sport4Fitness; and Family Link.
The Star cushions are funded by The Faraway Children’s Charity, of which Jane is the Chair, and The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund via Northamptonshire Community Foundation.
FEBRUARY 2022
Free Star Distribution Starts County Recovery Cuddles!
Yesterday we distributed 480 free Star cuddle cushions across Northamptonshire to 12 partners, charities and community groups. It was heart-warming to see our colourful Tackling Trauma character, Star, very busy cuddling and comforting traumatised young people within minutes of being dropped off at one Northampton centre. We took some pictures as Stars were dropped off or collected.
In 2022 we’re distributing 1500 free Stars in the county as a pilot project to see how well they support children’s health and wellbeing alongside our free UK website www.tackling-trauma.com The Star cushion is a 100% recycled, positive physical comforter to increase outcomes and impacts of our multi-media website which already provides free 24/7 and 365 trauma info, resources, self-help and help directory for all ages, families and practitioners. Essentially, Star is a very colourful website character who helps guide children, parents, carers and practitioners towards trauma understanding and recovery. Having a tangible physical cushion to cuddle will increase the existing website outcomes and impacts of improving health and wellbeing, increasing trauma understanding and resilience. The cushions are funded by The Faraway Children’s Charity and Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s Lord Lieutenant’s Fund. If the pilot goes well, we will be taking the project out into the UK and maybe creating more resources to help children and young people with their trauma recovery.
Initial Star recipients included: Service Six, REACH Collaboration, Voice for Victims and Witnesses, Serenity Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Home-Start Northampton, Northgate Academy, Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, University of Northampton Faculty of Health, Education and Society, Northamptonshire Carers, Family Support Link, Sikh Community Centre and Youth Club, Pitsford School and the county’s very own Mother Christmas / Easter Bunny, Jeanette Walsh.
Huge thank you to: Star’s 2 funders; Goodwill Solutions CIC (Kim, Rob and team for their free Star storage and continued help with logistics); Claudia Slabon at Service Six who borrowed a van and helped with deliveries; all recipients for helping us to get Star to the children who need a cuddle towards trauma recovery.
We’re planning another Star give-away day on the 17th March.
Free Star Cuddle Cushions for Northamptonshire Traumatised Children
Last year The Faraway Children’s Charity supported us with a grant to pilot a giveaway of 1000 Star Cuddle Cushions in Northamptonshire to help children aged 3 to 10 years, and possibly older disabled or learning disabled young people, with their trauma recovery. Having said all this adults are cuddling them! Northamptonshire Community Foundation funded another 500 cushions via The Lord Lieutenants’ Fund. 1500 Stars have been made and delivered into Northampton and we’re eager to support distribution across the county.
The cushions are 13” by 13” size; very soft plushie fabric; and eco - being made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, recycled filling with zero packaging.
They’re going fast with 1000 already allocated. If you’re interested please get in touch jane@crysalys.org – I would love our partner organisations to get access to these for your beneficiaries. Initially, I am looking at booking in pick-ups (from Goodwill Solutions, Moulton Park, Northampton) or drop off (by arrangement) on the 17th Feb from 11am – there will be other dates ahead assuming there’s some left. If you can’t make this date but want me to allocate some to your organisation please let me know.
Essentially, Star is a bright, positive and hopeful character on our Tackling Trauma website https://tackling-trauma.com/index.html specifically on the Children’s page
https://tackling-trauma.com/children.html
On the website, Star guides children (and parents/carers) through the website’s many resources. We hope that having a Star cushion to cuddle when they’re feeling scared, sad or struggling to sleep will help children and young people with their trauma recovery process. I have attached pictures of the cushions to give you an idea of what they look like. We’re aiming to increase trauma understanding and help 1500 local children by improving their health and wellbeing.
Here's a bit more info about Tackling Trauma…
Trauma is a brain injury that has significant and lasting negative impacts. The faster trauma is recognised and resolved, the more effective outcomes are. Tackling Trauma is the UK’s only free one-stop 24/7 365 website increasing understanding and recovery from trauma by providing free multi-media trauma recovery focused information, resources, self-help, help directory and coming soon - trauma-informed training webinars. Launched in April 2021, with 5000+ visits already, the platform covers all age groups, parents/carers, practitioners and professionals.
If you want more info please get in touch.
If you want to pass this email onto any other county contacts / organisations please feel free.
The Linder Foundation Grant for YCS
The Crysalys Foundation are delighted to announce we have secured a grant of £23,730 from national donor, The Linder Foundation, to progress our Youth Court Solutions project in 2022. The YCS 1-year pilot project commenced in October 2021 with a new range of services provided every fortnight at Northamptonshire’s youth court in Wellingborough Magistrate’s Court. The new service supported 30 beneficiaries in the first 6 sessions including young people, parents and carers. YCS provides highly qualified and trained professionals offering free generic info and support, community referrals, brief solution focused therapy, specialist substance misuse, accommodation, debt, education and mental health services. The new UK 1st service has already made a positive impact. County Solicitor, Hayley Pearson, from Nobles Solicitors said, ‘YCS is the missing link at youth court.’ The Crysalys Foundation hopes to create and disseminate a YCS toolkit within the UK in coming years.
The YCS service is managed by The Crysalys Foundation in partnership with Northamptonshire County Youth Bench and delivered by Service Six and Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service.
Fantastic County Children’s and Youth Art!
In 2021 we supported the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Amanda Lowther DL to develop a county art competition to enable children and young people to share their vision of the future.
A county art competition was born with plans to showcase, ‘The Future Through Their Eyes.’ Our Development Manager, Jane Deamer, attended the competition exhibition event in the Great Hall at The Guildhall in Northampton on Friday evening. Jane was one of the 3 competition judges.
There were lots of entries across age groups. The art was extremely inspiring and powerful. Here’s some pics! There were 4 winners and 5 runner up prizes. Everyone received a certificate.
The art competition concept and organisation was undertaken by the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Amanda Lowther DL. A number of local organisations got involved including Peak Empower, The LowDown, and the University of Northampton.
Here’s a couple of pics from the evening including a selfie of (left to right) Claudia Slabon (CEO, Service Six), Morcea Walker MBE DL, Cllr Rufia Ashraf Northampton Mayor and Jane. Also a line up pic of (left to right) Northamptonshire High Sheriff Amanda Lowther DL, Jane, Claudia Slabon and Cllr Rufia Ashraf Northampton Mayor.
Partner charity, The Faraway Children’s Charity (which is chaired by our Development Manager, Jane) gave a grant of £1,000 towards art equipment and resources for disadvantaged children to take part in the county art competition.
What a great evening well done and thank you everyone!!!
DECEMBER 2021
National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All Wales
We’re delighted to announce that our Tackling Trauma project has been awarded £10,000 by the National Lottery Community Fund Award for All Wales team for our new Tackling Trauma Wales (TTW) project which will promote and translate aspects of the www.tackling-trauma.com site in Wales, in particular as part of our Covid-19 support for communities. We’re over the moon to be able to develop the site even further and increase reach within the UK. We’ll be working closely with existing partners in Wales and forming new collaborations to ensure communities benefit. From February 2022 TTW will engage 10+ Welsh cross sector partners towards reaching 1000+ traumatised Welsh beneficiaries. Via robust networking and Welsh translation of key aspects of the existing Tackling Trauma website we’ll increase trauma recovery access for everyone whilst providing free trauma-informed training webinars to diverse partners across disciplines aiding their knowledge, better responses to traumatised clients and managing vicarious trauma. Beneficiaries will get 24/7 365 free web-based trauma information, resources, self-help, tools, national help directory and training webinars. The project will run for at least a year and we’ll be seeking more funding to continue our established Welsh presence, positive outcomes and impacts.
Tackling Trauma Together 1st Training Course
We delivered our 1st Tackling Trauma Together training course on Friday 3rd December for the Youth Court Solutions team including members of Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service and regional charity, Service Six. We were also joined by a member from our close UK partner, Centre for Justice Innovation. The 1-day course was delivered to 10 participants by our Psychotherapist, Yvette Lambe, who aided with the understanding of trauma and trauma-informed strategies to apply in practice at YCS and wider services. The training was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All England as part of a trauma learning package we’re developing. We will be uploading 3 free training webinars onto the www.tackling-trauma.com website in early 2022 so cross disciplinary individuals and organisations across the UK can easily access trauma learning.
SEPTEMBER 2021
We’re pleased to launch our new free Tackling Trauma Thematic page on Children in Care and Care Leavers focused on their experiences concerning trauma impacts https://tackling-trauma.com/children-in-care.html The page provides bespoke information for parents, carers and practitioners. Feel free to use and share the resource across the UK.
This is the latest page to be added to the unique UK Tackling Trauma digital platform www.tackling-trauma.com developed and hosted by The Crysalys Foundation. The site is completely free to use and accessible 24/7 365 with info, resources, multi-media tool kits and self-help towards recovery from trauma for children, young people, adults and guidance for parents, carers, professionals and practitioners. The site also includes a UK trauma help directory with details of organisations offering free trauma dedicated or informed helplines and services.
AUGUST 2021
AGM 2020-21
We will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Thursday 14th October at 8pm via zoom. All welcome!
We will post the link nearer the time.
The Crysalys Foundation have launched the latest pages on our Tackling Trauma platform. The first is on Risky Behaviours and is part of the Thematic Trauma section
https://tackling-trauma.com/risky-behaviours.html The page shares free info and insights about a range of risky behaviours such as self-harm and how they are used as coping strategies to manage the impacts of trauma. The page outlines lots of healthier ways to cope with trauma including resources and multi-media self-help tools.
The second new page is What Is Counselling? which forms part of the Trauma in Children & Young People section. The page outlines what counselling and play therapy are and where to access information about how to source appropriate potential providers. Trauma is a specialist area for therapists so getting a therapist with the right qualifications, experience and clinical supervision is extremely important.
Tackling Trauma is the UK’s first free multi-media website platform dedicated to trauma understanding and recovery www.tackling-trauma.com
JULY 2021
The Crysalys Foundation’s Chair, Adrian Pryce, and Development Manager, Jane Deamer, took part in an interview on the 13th July 2021 within the NLive Radio show, Open for Business. Jane explained the Foundation’s focus on Tackling Trauma, outlining the project, progress and next steps including the rising Star character helping children recover from trauma and the launch of the national Tackling Trauma Together campaign later in 2021. Listen to the podcast for free using the link.
https://anchor.fm/nliveopen4business/episodes/Jane-Deamer---Development-Manager-for-Crysalys-e14e64f
JUNE 2021
The Crysalys Foundation’s free, Tackling Trauma website, has a new thematic section on bullying
https://tackling-trauma.com/bullying.html
In recent months the foundation has worked very closely with the fantastic team at the national charity, Kidscape, to start to explore the impacts of bullying in particular the trauma it causes for children, young people and often as adults later in life. The new section includes multi-media info, resources, toolkits and recovery guidance. Please share the link with friends, colleagues and partners so we can reach out to as many people as possible to help towards preventing, reducing, mitigating and treating trauma in the UK. Thank you.
FEBRUARY 2021
We’re pleased to announce that the Youth Court Solutions (YCS) launch event on the 11th February went extremely well and was attended by 149 colleagues from around the country. The University of Northampton supported the hosting of the webinar which was chaired by the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Mr Paul Parsons, and the rest of panel were Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE QC, Mr Dominic Goble JP DL (Deputy Chair of The Crysalys Foundation), Professor Nick Petford (Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of Northampton), Mr John Tenconi (Chairman of the Michael Seiff Foundation), Miss Claire Ely (Head of Innovative Practice at the Centre for Justice Innovation) and Mrs Jane Deamer (Development Manager of The Crysalys Foundation). Guests included representatives of the offices of the Ministry of Justice and the Children’s Commissioner for England.
Our Development Manager, Jane Deamer, led the main presentation on The Crysalys Foundation and it’s key role in the detailed project planning, management and realisation of the new service (available on MP4 below). We have also shared some of the media achieved including an article courtesy of the Magistrates’ Association with our Deputy Chair, Dominic Goble JP DL, an interview undertaken with BBC Radio Northampton with our Chair, Associate Professor Adrian Pryce DL and Dominic and the Chronicle & Echo coverage of the event.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo (external link)
Magistrates' Association Article (pdf)
YCS National Launch presentation (click below)
BBC Radio Northampton Interview (click below)
This week is national Children’s Mental Health week. The theme this year is EXPRESS YOURSELF!
We would encourage children to try new healthy ways of expressing themselves including art, poetry, keeping a diary, talking with friends or family or seeking help from others if you feel you need it.
We would encourage adults to listen to and support children and young people please.
This is a very difficult time for everyone so please let’s all look after our own and loved ones, friends, neighbours and colleagues mental health together
JANUARY 2021
Please view our latest 'Impact Report'
Click to download (PDF)
The new Youth Court Solutions service will be officially launched on the 11th February 2021 at an event digitally hosted by the University of Northampton. The Crysalys Foundation has been a critical part of the YCS working group, chaired by the county’s High Sheriff, Paul Parsons, and have contributed significant pro bono expertise within the last year. We will manage the service under a Memorandum of Understanding with Northamptonshire County Youth Bench. We have led the process of mapping and writing a 12 months pilot project plan with main delivery partners Service Six and Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service. The new service will start once lockdown restrictions allow.
NOVEMBER 2020
Annual General Meeting: we are giving notice that we are holding our annual general meeting on Thursday the 26th November 2020 at 7pm to 8pm via zoom. If you would like to attend please email jane@crysalys.org and we will provide a zoom link for the meeting. The meeting will review our activities for the period April 2019 to March 2020 including a finance report. We will also share our Impact Report for the year and future plans for 2020 and beyond.
SEPTEMBER 2020
We’re delighted to announce we have been awarded £10,000 funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund. Thanks to the Government for making this possible. Our new project Tackling Trauma will provide free digital information, self-help and support to aid Northamptonshire individuals, families, cross sector organisations and communities to recognise, understand and manage their trauma caused by COVID-19. Using digital methodology enables sustainability regardless of future local restrictions or lockdowns such as Northampton’s pending actions. Beneficiaries will achieve increased: health and wellbeing; increased personal support networks; and increased community connectivity.
Last year The Crysalys Foundation was awarded £9,600 from the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All to develop our ACEs Volunteering activities. We had a target to recruit an additional 20 volunteers to complete 200 volunteering hours. We’re pleased to update that so far our activities have benefitted from the input of 12 new and diverse volunteers who have completed 157 hours including fundraising, marketing, consultancy and IT support. We’ve also completed our targets to create a Volunteering Strategy, Pack and Action Plan. Although we’ve struggled to attract more new volunteers during the lockdown period, our volunteers have still been working hard for us. Big thanks to all our volunteers and supporters. If you, your company, your staff or your community group might be able to support Crysalys to help disadvantaged families to help themselves – let us know. We’d love to hear from you. Thank you
MARCH 2020
First Anniversary Event. We celebrated the anniversary of our launch in 2019 at an event that took place on Sunday the 15th March at The Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Our Chair (Adrian Pryce DL) and our Development Manager (Jane Deamer) shared updates and light refreshments with our team, partners and supporters including: The Lord Lieutenant, David Laing; The High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Paul Parsons; The Mayor of Northampton, Nazim Choudary; and Northampton Borough Council Leader, Jonathan Nunn.
New Youth Court Solutions Project.
We’re going to be leading on a project delivered in partnership with the Northamptonshire County Youth Bench. We’ll be leading on a UK first project to deliver an at court solutions service to provide youth court defendants, victims, witnesses, family and friends with information and aid referrals through to a wide range of cross sector community based services. We hope to start the service in the Spring of 2021 and our key delivery partners will be regional award winning charity, Service Six and Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service. The working group for the new project is chaired by Northamptonshire High Sheriff, Paul Parsons, supported by Dominic Goble JP DL and John Baker JP (Chair of the Northamptonshire County Youth Panel and Chair of Northamptonshire Out of Court Disposals Scrutiny Panel).
Our Development Manager, Jane Deamer, has been progressing the new project initiative for us on a pro bono basis and said, “The implementation of a new single Northamptonshire, Youth Justice Centre, held fortnightly in Wellingborough, provides a valuable opportunity to pilot an innovative holistic hub model to help to achieve youth crime reduction and prevention in the county. The hub will be co-ordinated by national registered charity, The Crysalys Foundation, who will maximise the centre’s fortnightly court hearings to proactively engage and build relationships with perpetrators, victims and families. The hub will act as a referral pathway to a range of complementary interventions including diversionary, group work, therapy and community activity programmes delivered by a network of other county charities. The hub will strive for collective positive impact with outcomes such as improved health and wellbeing, increased family communication and resilience, reduced recidivism and accredited positive activity awards. Overtime, as more partners collaborate and the hub develops, outcomes could expand to include reduced drug use, binge drinking and homelessness.
The Crysalys Foundation’s vision is that every child deserves a happy youth. The charity is working with a range of partners towards a new approach to transforming disadvantaged children’s experiences today for all our tomorrows. One of their core aims is reducing, preventing and treating adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s). ACE’s are witnessed or directly experienced highly stressful and traumatic incidents, such as domestic abuse, abuse or parental substance abuse. These incidents can be everyday occurrences for some children and research indicates they can impact babies from 17 weeks of age in the womb for a lifetime. In 2016 local research highlighted that preventing ACE’s could reduce lifetime incarcerations by 50%, violence perpetration by 61% and victimisation by 56% (Adverse Childhood Experiences in Hertfordshire, Luton and Northamptonshire, Ford et al, 2016). Most of the recognised ACE’s (and other adversities) impact on the justice system. Children and adults with experience of ACE’s may come into contact with the criminal justice system – both as victims or witnesses and perpetrators of crime. They may also interact with the civil justice ‘family law’ system. The justice system therefore has a key role in preventing and, in particular, mitigating the impact of ACE’s. The new hub will adopt an agile methodology to test, evaluate and develop new and impactful approaches to collaborative working to make Northamptonshire a healthier, happier and safer county for everyone.”
We’d like to say a big thank you to Adrian Palmer at HMCTS for his support at Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court and Claire Ely and Michelle McGuire at Criminal justice Innovation in London for their support and wisdom gained from their at court adult advice services.
Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Services (NDAS) are delighted to announce The National Lottery Community Fund have awarded them a grant of £49,734. The grant will fund a county pilot project to collectively prevent, reduce and treat adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). NDAS are leading a partnership approach which will build on local ACEs research outcomes in 2016 whilst harnessing good practice in the county. Initial partners include community members, Northamptonshire Police, University of Northampton, Service Six, The Faraway Children’s Charity and The Crysalys Foundation. The pilot and follow on work will seek to create a new trauma informed clinical model of co-working which could revolutionise the way in which cross sector services are currently delivered and funded.
Ten families will be engaged to help develop the pilot model and evaluate outcomes and impact. The initial targeted families will be disadvantaged, have evidence of childhood trauma and include at least one child under the age of 7 years. Local ACEs research strongly links childhood trauma to numerous negative life outcomes including poor health, teenage pregnancy, substance and alcohol misuse, violence victimisation and perpetration. Short to long term collective impacts for beneficiaries can include: improved wellbeing; increased education attendance and attainment; and improved parenting and family life. Local research suggests longer-term differences achieved by preventing ACEs in the future could reduce: violence victimisation by 56%; violence perpetration by 61%; incarceration by 50%; cannabis use by 45%; binge drinking by 22%; smoking by 25%; unintended teenage pregnancy by 44%; heroin and crack use by 54%; poor diets by 14%; and early sex by 36%.
NDAS Strategic Director (CEO), Dr Rachel Duncan said, ‘The grant news is fantastic and comes after several years of hard work to develop the initial partnership. Project insights will help us to shape a new holistic approach. Together we can work out the best ways to combine all our knowledge, resources and actions to help children and families restore their wellbeing and reach their potential.’
For further information please contact NDAS at info@ndas.co.
The Crysalys Foundation are delighted to announce The National Lottery Community Fund have awarded them an Awards for All grant of £9,600. The grant will fund a project to maximise Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Volunteering in Northamptonshire as part of the foundation’s activities.
The foundation’s vision is that every child deserves a happy youth and is working with cross sector partners to create a new approach to transforming disadvantaged children’s experiences today for all our tomorrows.
The new project will increase the number and capacity of Northamptonshire volunteers working together to create an ACEs model of excellence which will ultimately prevent, reduce and treat ACEs impacts which are strongly linked with a number of poor life outcomes. The foundation wants to maximise in kind expertise, knowledge and skills in the community to help them with the activities. The grant will fund training, a volunteer strategy, action plan and policy set as a basis for existing and new volunteer actions.
Crysalys Chair, Adrian Pryce DL said, ‘We’re over the moon at the news we have been awarded a grant. This will enable us to harness community expertise to progress our plans to help local traumatised children. We only launched in February so this is a great early step forward.’
The Crysalys Foundation is also a core partner in the new ACEs Action Northamptonshire partnership led by NDAS and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. The pilot and follow on work will seek to create a new trauma informed clinical model of co-working which could revolutionise the way in which cross sector services are currently delivered and funded.
For further information please contact The Crysalys Foundation.
Company No: 11080543.
Registered Charity No. 1189120.
Registered Address:
60 Sutton Street,
Flore,
NN7 4LE.
T: 07495 539 611
COOKIES & PRIVACY