An essential service of Rising Sun’s is providing 1-1 mentoring and group support to children aged 5-11 who have experienced trauma linked to domestic abuse. This specialist support is provided within schools in Canterbury, Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe. Unfortunately, we do not receive funding outside of school term-time, meaning children lack this vital support during school holidays. With your support, we can continue to provide this invaluable support to silenced and hurt children, offering them a safe place to heal, be heard and most importantly, have fun. Our summer programme will involve fun days out in Kent! Our wish list includes: • Flip Out • Clip ‘n’ Climb • Imagine Play Centre • Howletts Wild Animal Park • Port Lympne Safari Park • Wildwood • Inflate ‘n’ Play • Tobogganing & Skywalk • Cinema • Marlowe Theatre The funding will pay for 14 children per trip, plus lunch & refreshments like ice-cream!

What we'll deliver:

• Book 10 days out to local East Kent leisure activities, for 14 children per trip
• Pay for lunch and refreshments for 14 children
• Pay for 3 members of staff for each trip

Why it's a great idea:

Traumatised children can become socially isolated, lack emotional understanding and have low self-esteem. This can lead to negative relationships, behavioural problems, and disengagement with their communities, education and families. Our 1-1 mentoring and groups help them to acknowledge the abuse and develop coping strategies, manage their emotions and behaviours, and learn how to have healthy, safe relationships. It’s crucial to reinforce this work with leisure activities that are fun but also therapeutic, with staff on hand to support, to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children have the chance to meet others with similar experiences and realising that they are not alone is hugely beneficial. Relationships with staff are also positively strengthened. Contact with mums and siblings means staff can encourage engagement in our other services, such as outreach, adult groups and counselling – and the mums can meet and chat, also benefitting from that peer support.

Steps to get it done:

• Plan and book 10 days out

Shockingly 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and, in 90% of incidents, children are in the same or adjacent room when violence happens. Over 85% of children who witness domestic abuse developed moderate to severe trauma symptoms. We know that support services, like Rising Sun’s, are vital and successful with 100% of parents reporting improvement in their child’s safety, health and wellbeing, stability and resilience and prevention abilities. Feedback from mums on previous activity days: “Both children were sad when the sessions finished in school but this has boosted them and knowing they may see you at another activity day helps them so much, they have been through so much and it’s so nice to see them happy” “B was so nervous about coming, but he was so welcomed and loved it, and never wanted to come home after. He had a brilliant time” “My daughter made a new friend and when I picked her up at the end of the activity she was chatty, chatty, chatty”