Reach Education & Wellbeing News/Blog
Blog - 6th September 2022
Do you ever have one of those days when you wonder if you're good enough?
We all have days when unhelpful, negative thoughts seem to take over. Don't we? Today I've found myself having one of those days, and wondering if anyone else has days like this. My head is full of 'Am I good enough?' questions today. Here's just a few...
Am I a good enough mum?
Am I a good enough business owner?
Am I good enough at social media (for my business)?
Am I good enough at communicating with people?
Am I good enough to do the job I do?
Am I good enough to make my business successful?
Am I good enough at keeping the house tidy?
As you can see, lots of random, unhelpful thoughts! Where have these come from? Honestly, I have no idea. I think sometimes without warning lots of us end up with days like this.
I've had to ask myself the questions - 'Good enough for who?', 'Good enough compared to what?'. And perhaps most importantly, 'Who is going to judge whether you are good enough?' There is no one else asking me the big list above. This is pressure I'm putting on myself. I've asked myself why I'm putting this pressure on, and I guess it's because I want to be good at what I do; I want to make a difference in a positive way; I want to bring up a daughter who is confident, happy and resilient; I even would quite like a tidy house!
However, when we get in to a cycle of negative, unhelpful thoughts, it can do a great job of bringing us down (and our mood along with it). So I'm flipping these questions around and telling myself, 'I am a good enough Mum because...', 'I am a good enough business owner because...' etc (you get the idea). I'm focusing on what I am good at and what I have achieved, because it doesn't serve me well to focus on wondering whether I'm 'good enough'. I'M ENOUGH - that's what matters.
Competition Time - Review Giveaway
Leave a review to be in with a chance to win £10 worth of credit for Reach Education & Wellbeing
It’s easy! All you have to do is leave me a review on Facebook or Google (or both) for a chance to win £10 worth of credit to use with
me at Reach Education & Wellbeing.
1. Write a review (of at least 20 words) of yours/your child's experience with Reach Education & Wellbeing.
2. Post your review onto the Reach Education & Wellbeing Facebook page or by Googling us and clicking 'Write a review' under our profile.
Terms and conditions apply.
- All entrants must be aged 18 or over, or represented by a parent/guardian who is 18 or over.
- Reviews must be published by 9pm on Friday 9th September.
- The prize winner will be randomly drawn from all the valid entries and contact by Reach Education and Wellbeing. Only winners will be contacted personally.
- The winner of the competition will be announced on Facebook.
- No cash alternative is available.
- Credit may be used by existing clients for payment towards a future one to one session or for payment towards a future Relax Kids term.
- By entering, you agree that we have the right to use the reviews submitted to promote Reach Education & Wellbeing.
- By entering you confirm that your review is for a genuine service experience received from Reach Education & Wellbeing, within the last 12 months.
- Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this free competition.
News - 15th July 2022
Countesthorpe Parish Council 'Reach' out to the local community
It is with huge delight that I'd like to announce some FREE sessions available to the local community in Countesthorpe and surrounding areas. These FREE sessions are being funded by Countesthorpe Parish Council and will take place at our local library in the village.
Our two types of sessions for children and young people include:
RELAX KIDS - interactive, fun and engaging sessions designed to support children with their wellbeing. These sessions are linked to the Summer Reading Challenge 2022 theme of 'Gadgeteers'.
SIX BRICKS - fun and short activities with LEGO DUPLO bricks in six bright colours, give children the opportunity to practice their memory, movement, creativity and much much more whilst working alongside their parent.
Countesthorpe Parish Council are offering these sessions in order to focus on community engagement and to enhance children's learning and wellbeing. I'm so pleased to be working with them to facilitate these objectives and I can't wait to meet lots of new children and young people along with their parents at any of the sessions taking place this summer at Countesthorpe Library.
News - 1st July 2022
Summer wellbeing and relaxation sessions running during the holidays
Our summer sessions are now open for booking. We have a huge range of options this summer to help support your child with their wellbeing, confidence, self-esteem and to allow them to have lots of fun with others their own age.
NEW for this summer are also our Back to Calm sessions for older young people. These are designed to prepare your child for the transition back to school, giving them tools and techniques to help boost their resilience whilat also learning ways to keep calm and relax.
All of our sessions are different and have different themes, so no one session is repeated. Your child can attend as many as they are able to and every time they will be covering new topics, trying out new ways to relax and learning different ideas to support their wellbeing.
Booking required for all sessions. Contact us on 07967 371343 or complete the contact form on our website.
Venue: Sutton Elms Baptist Church, Broughton Astley
News - 2nd April 2022
Easter Chill & Craft Sessions running during the holidays
Come and join us for our Easter holiday Chill & Craft sessions. These sessions can provide your child with the perfect opportunity to try out what Relax Kids is all about.
Sessions include the Relax Kids 7-steps:
MOVE, PLAY, STRETCH, FEEL, BREATHE, BELIEVE, RELAX.
All based around a fun Easter theme, followed by the opportunity to chooe from a variety of craft activities.
Price per child is £8 for an hour and a half session. Parents are welcome to stay and join in or drop off and collect.
Venue: Sutton Elms Baptist Church, Broughton Astley
News - 3rd January 2022
FREE GIVEAWAY FOR THIS TERM!
Book on to our next block of wellbeing and relaxation classes and receive a FREE Relax Kids book. These lovely collections of meditations are really useful to bring a little bit of Relax Kids in to your home. They are ideal for a relaxing story before bedtime or for taking a few minutes out of the day with your child to enjoy.
News - 28th December 2021
SESSIONS FOR OUR NEW TERM ARE AVAILABLE TO BOOK
Our new term begins on the week beginning the 10th January 2022.
We are offering Chill Skills for ages 8-11, Magical Adventures for ages 4-8 and Little Stars for ages 2-4.
Classes use the unique Relax Kids 7-step system:
MOVE, PLAY, STRETCH, FEEL, BREATHE, BELIEVE, RELAX.
Children learn a variety of techniques to support their wellbeing, learn tools to keep themselves calm in times of stress and worry, make connections with others their age, take part in fun activities which support their mental health and find ways to deal with the challenges of life.
Head over to the Relax Kids tab on our website to find out more details.
Advance booking is required for all classes.
News - 7th October 2021
OCTOBER HALF TERM SESSIONS NOW AVAILABLE TO BOOK
We have a selection of exciting opportunities available for your child or even the whole family to attend our October Half Term sessions being held in Cosby during the holiday coming up.
There are a variety of sessions available and all are based around our exciting themes including:
Autumn
Halloween
Room on the Broom
Meg & Mog
I am also delighted to be able to offer two Chill & Chat sessions for parents of children who have special educational needs or disabilities.
Head over to the Relax Kids tab on our website to find out more details.
Advance booking is required for all classes.
News - 31st August 2021
WEEKLY CLASSES STARTING WEEK BEGINNING 6TH SEPTEMBER
I am so excited to be able to offer all of these weekly Relax Kids classes for the children and young people in Leicestershire aged between 3 and 13.
There will be 2 opportunities each week to join a Little Stars class with your 3-4 year old.
Our Relax Kids class for ages 5-8 runs once a week.
Chill Skills sessions for 9-13 year olds takes place twice a week.
By offering some classes more than once during the week my hope is to be able to reach as many families as possible.
Advance booking is required for all classes.
News - 6th August 2021
5 DAYS OF DISCOVERY.
5 days to find your chill.
It's going to a busy week coming up, starting on 16th August, as I'm spending the whole week running ALL of the Relax Kids classes that we have to offer at Reach Education & Wellbeing throughout the week. There will be 2 opportunities each day to try a class, so if you can't make it in the morning, come in the afternoon, or vice versa.
Since I began my business, it's been my mission to spread the word about the Relax Kids system and it's benefits to the wonderful people of Leicestershire. This week will provide me with lots of opportunities to meet new families and children whilst also providing them with the opportunity to find out what we're all about. I'm running these classes at a very low promotional rate too!
From September, there will be weekly classes running and I hope our '5 Days of Discovery' will allow families to make informed decisions about whether these classes will be of benefit to their child.
Advance booking is required for all classes.
News - 5th July 2021
SUMMER CLASS DATES NOW AVAILABLE!!
I am pleased to announce that there are the following workshops planned for the summer holidays.
These workshops are designed to give your child a taster of what we have to offer at Reach Education & Wellbeing, prior to weekly classes resuming in September.
All workshop places must be booked in advance. This can be done by calling Victoria on 07967 371343 or sending us an email victoria@reacheducationandwellbeing.co.uk
News - 14th June 2021
FREE! Yes FREE Relax Kids class trials available for schools, community groups, organisations, charities in Leicestershire.
I work with primary schools, organisations and charities in the Leicestershire area who recognise the need to support their pupils’/members’ mental health and wellbeing but may not have the resources, time or specialisms to do so as much as they would like.
I deliver all-inclusive face to face workshops which allow children access to simple and effective techniques for relaxation, mindfulness and stress management, delivered in a fun and creative way.
Through the use of Relax Kids workshops (which are suitable for children aged between 3 and 10), other schools and organisations have found their children have developed positive self-image, confidence, lowered anxiety, improved social communication skills, self-esteem and better emotional literacy. Children have an increased understanding of how to care for their own and their peers mental health.
This is what others have said about Relax Kids workshops:
“Relax Kids is a wonderful resource that will have a positive effect on children and families using these meditations. Often children with anxieties feel stuck or unable to find a pathway out of the challenging situation that they are facing. Like a good map to navigate stress and anxiety, Relax Kids resources can help young people problem-solve their way out of life's challenges.” - Kevin Baskerville previous Leicestershire Autism Outreach Service (IS) Manager.
“An important contribution to the happiness and well being of our next generation. Positivity is contagious and Relax Kids is making an important contribution to the happiness and wellbeing of our next generation!” - Dr David R Hamilton Scientist and Author.
“It really does make a difference to the lives of those who participate. Children are less hyper-active, therefore calmer, kinder and more focused.”- Beverly Crooks, OFSTED inspector
I am excited to offer a limited number of schools and organisations the chance to have a FREE half day face to face workshop with me. I will come to your venue and deliver a Relax Kids workshop to two groups of your choice where the children will be introduced to the 7-step system which gives children practical tools they can draw on in times of stress and focusses on their resilience and confidence leading to an improvement in their ability to learn.
There are only a limited number of spaces available before the end of term so if you would like to take advantage of this great offer, please reply directly to this email and I will contact you to discuss your needs.
This offer in only available to the first 5 schools/organisations who contact me. In the meantime, if you would like to find out any more about myself and my business please explore my website or visit my Facebook page
www.facebook.com/reacheducationandwellbeing
News - 9th June 2021
Community classes in Blaby and Countesthorpe starting next week!
ATTENTION ALL PARENTS - NEW RELAX KIDS CLASSES AVAILABLE NOW
I am excited to announce that Reach Education & Wellbeing will now be running 4 Relax Kids classes for you to choose from for the next 4 weeks in Blaby and Countesthorpe. These will provide you and your child with an ideal opportunity to get to know me, the Relax Kids system and experience some of the fun we can have whilst learning tools to manage the challenges of life.
Your first visit to the class will be FREE, meaning there will then only be a few paid weeks before the summer holidays. As a parent myself, I know it's hard to commit to a long block of sessions for something which you're not sure your child will want to stick with. However, your child can get a taste of 4 Little Stars classes (ages 3-5) for just £10.50 or 4 Relax Kids classes (ages 6-10) for just £12.
No commitment to attend all classes is required. Just come for the FREE taster, or just attend one or two classes. Pay as you go.
News - 17th May 2021
On Friday last week, I experienced a first! I was invited to be interviewed on BBC Radio Leicester as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. It was an opportunity to share my experiences, get the word out about my new business and share some ideas about how I've supported my own mental health. You can listen again by clicking on the link below. I'm on just after 13 minutes in to the show.
Mid-morning on BBC Radio Leicester - With Jack Rafferty (14/05/2021) - BBC Sounds
Blog - 12th May 2021
Being Brave (even when you're scared witless)
When I told my family and friends that I planned to leave primary teaching after 18 years, needless to say there was a mixture of responses, a few of which I'll share...
Of course, many of these reactions came from sheer surprise that I was actually going to take on this huge new challenge at the age of 41, when I'd been in the same line of work for nearly 2 decades! I too asked myself lots of these questions, and at the beginning of my journey, doubt did creep in. I had to keep my own negative self talk in check. I soon came to realise that the emotions and thoughts I was experiencing came from fear. Fear that I would fail, fear that I would let my family down, fear that I couldn't do it, fear that I was going to be homeless in a year because I wouldn't bring in enough money to pay the mortgage.
I knew what I had to do was to be brave. I'd spent so much time putting thought in to my next move once I decided to leave teaching, that I knew it was bravery which would help me to accomplish my dreams. I began spending time looking a little more deeply in to the fears I was experiencing. I read about what it meant to be brave, how many people face fear on a daily basis, and importantly, what I could do to overcome my fears. Whilst doing some reading one evening, I came across a quote from Bear Grylls. Now I wouldn't particularly say I'm a fan of this epic adventurer, but give him his due, he certainly shows a level of bravery in the feats he undertakes.
Grylls is quoted as saying, 'Bravery isn't the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.'
These words jumped out at me as being a game changer in the way I addressed my own fears. Ok, so I'm not having to be brave whilst I go off in to the wilderness with only a knife and the clothes on my back for a month, but 'finding a way through it' was what I needed to do. I had spent too much time trying to ignore my fears and telling myself that they shouldn't take up space in my head. However, once I actually started to accept them as a normal part of life and put my efforts in to finding practical ways to find ways through those fears, I began to feel more capable. I began to feel stronger, happier, and braver.
Our daily lives and those of the young people we care for can be full of fears. We can find days when we know we need to be brave, but struggle to push our fears to one side. So, I don't any more. I listen to my fears, I don't try to ignore them. I find a way through them. How? By sharing them with friends and family, by writing them down, by looking at the reality of how valid my fears are. And on the occasions, these things don't work for me, I fake it till I make it. I use positive affirmations to tell myself I can do this. I trick my brain in to believing I can, until it becomes the truth. So l encourage you to listen to your own fears. Listen to your friends' and families' fears. Listen to children's fears. They are so real to the person experiencing them but that bravery can be found. Sometimes we just need a little bit of help to find it. And that is ok.
News - 11th May 2021
I am very excited to be able to share with you that I will be interviewed on the Mid-morning show on BBC Radio Leicester on Friday 14th May! Tune in to listen at 10.15am where I will be chatting about my career move, my business and the importance of keeping the conversations about mental health going. If you can't catch it live you will be able to listen again by going to the BBC website. I will post the link on Friday, letting you all know where you can hear the interview again.
