Rescue Treasure Baskets are packages of therapeutic play and creative art material, personally made for children. The baskets contain a wide range of therapeutic arts and crafts for children to immerse themselves in, in the comfort of their own home. Play and creative arts are a well-known outlet for supporting emotional health in children. The resources are of a therapeutic, educational and fun nature to ignite enthusiasm, creativity and innovatory ideas. As we understand emotional healing takes time, each child will receive a weekly Top-Up Parcel of therapeutic material, for five weeks. This means the intervention runs for six weeks. These parcels are gifted to teachers of local schools to hand to the children that they know are struggling through these difficult times. The families may be using food banks, may be under financial stress, may have lost a loved one to the virus or their existing condition heightened due to the anxiety levels around or change in routine.

What we'll deliver:

• 20 Children will recieve a Rescue Treasure Basket
• Each child will recieve five Top-Up Parcels
• 4 local schools will be able to support their most vulnerable children

Why it's a great idea:

Children who are struggling with their mental health are the main beneficiaries of the project. These are children whose emotional health is usually a battle but dramatically impacted by the personal challenges of Covid-19 or children experiencing trauma or mental health conditions from the impact of external factors. Children have seen a significant change to their usual routine and their family circumstances. Families are worried about their children for many reasons, as their norm has changed. The project can benefit the child as they have extra contacted time with a teacher each week, in the exchange of the material. This process enables the opportunity for sensitive contact time with a supportive adult which children crave. This also allows opportunity for the child to share their worries, their fears as well as their successes. Teachers benefit from the intervention as they carry these worries for children and families and the only way the worries go, is with support and action.

Steps to get it done:

• Buying the resources required
• Reaching out to crafting volunteers for kind donations
• Printing the paperwork required
• Collecting the kind donations
• Packaging the Treasure Baskets
• Packaging the Top-Up Parcels
• Contacting Schools
• Delivering to the schools

Children use their Treasure Baskets as a therapeutic activity. The parcels promote the children to go on savage hunts to source their own material they can use for their creations. These materials can be recycled or natural. The idea is that children embed themselves in their creations to free their minds of the chaos around them and the uncertainty. The creation of a work space in the family home provides a place where the child can go with their worries and organise them. The creative time allows for a natural outlet of negative feeling and a sense of calm. We aim to achieve a project that is bespoke to The Treasure Basket Association. We have members of the community hand make objects that go to the children, in their Basket or Top-Up Parcels. This is from knitted bears, origami patterns, bracelets, felt hearts and much more. Everything placed has been wrapped especially for the child. We feel this is important as it brings together the community to support emotional well-being.