Beneficiary Spotlight - CrossReach
We've granted £2,000 to support CrossReach with their Sunflower Garden initiative
Last updated 27th Jul 2018
CrossReach Edinburgh supports children in line with the Scottish Government Initiative 'Getting it Right for Every Child' (Scottish Government 2012) with its focus on well-being and creating conditions around children, through specifically targeted interventions, which build strong, confident, resilient communities where each child has the opportunity to be valued, contribute and thrive.
The approach is based on the premise, that each child, no matter what their circumstances, has the right to be safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, respected, responsible and included. These are defined as the SHANARRI well-being indicators from which it should be possible to identify where a child or family may need some additional support to help them to overcome challenges at an early stage.
Their Sunflower Garden gives a space for children, affected by parental substance use, to interact and find support from others in similar situations, release stress and tension and receive the emotional support and help that they need. This can be the lifeline which enables children to remain in education and make different life choices for themselves.
The £2,000 funding from Cash for Kids went towards the transport costs at Sunflower Garden. Many of the children would not be able to attend counselling sessions at Sunflower Garden without a Journey Buddy transporting them to and from their sessions.
The Journey Buddy’s offer another healthy attachment with a trusted adult and the children often talk about their feelings to the Journey Buddy.
The overall aim of Sunflower Garden’s work is to improve the lives of children aged 5-18 affected by parental substance use within the City of Edinburgh. Counselling sessions aim to build self-esteem and confidence, as well as reduce isolation of these children and young people.
By taking part in the services offered, children can express and manage their worries, as well as:
• Build their resilience
• Improve their self-esteem
• Increase their confidence
• Find ways to cope with their situation
Case Study:
Lily and her little sister spent their early years with parents who were unable to meet their basic needs. Through trauma and poor mental health, her parents became substance-dependent. The little money that the family had access to was used for drugs and alcohol, leaving scarcely any for food for the girls. Lily spent much time caring for her baby sister and trying to find food for her. As a result, Lily and her sister were adopted into their new family a year ago.
Sunflower Garden has enabled Lily to access weekly counselling and her counsellor has used play therapy to engage Lily in this therapeutic relationship. This is a safe space for Lily to explore her early years and its resulting impact on her life. Early neglect left her with a number of difficulties, which make day to day tasks and peer relationships very difficult.
Lily loves coming for play therapy every week. It is a space where she gets to do what she wants and autonomously explore her world and emotions through free expression. Lily instinctively knows how to use the play room to help her work through her problems. She is finding new coping mechanisms and strategies to help her in years ahead.
Although she cannot undo the first years of her life, she is a little girl determined not to let them hold her back. Lily talks fondly of her counsellor and knows that Sunflower Garden is a unique time in her week. Through emotional and psychological support, we know that Lily is given the best chance possible in her adoptive, peer and future relationships.
"The child in my class has thoroughly enjoyed her sessions with Sunflower Garden. She enjoys her time and returns to class afterwards much calmer and able to show more focus on the tasks in class." - Teacher
"Worker has helped reduce young person’s guilt about her father. She can’t help him and that is hard for her as each time he promises he’ll be fine, it goes wrong. Worker helps her understand that it is not up to her to stop him." - Parent