Abeni* is a mum from Chelmsford whose daughter, Elena (11) is supported by the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service. Abeni was able to purchase a new bike for Elena through the Barnardo’s Young People’s Grant to help her pass her Bikeability course and keep active over the summer holidays. Here, she shares her experience and the difference the support has made.
“We came into touch with Barnardo’s through my daughter’s school. The school were doing health checks, run by the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing service, checking the children’s BMIs and raising awareness about healthy eating and exercise.
“We were referred to the HCRG Care Group (an independent UK provider of NHS and local authority-commissioned community health and care services) through Barnardo’s and contacted by our Lifestyle coach, Dawn, to discuss what support my daughter might need, share information and get some advice. It was really helpful because she took time to understand our family and the kind of things my daughter might engage with.
“I was already thinking about how I could support my daughter to be more active, but having the help from Dawn made a big difference with motivation and understanding how change could be possible.”
“Having the support from Dawn was really helpful”
“Having the support from Dawn was really helpful. I attended sessions with my daughter after school and it was great to help raise her awareness of healthy eating and exercise.
“Dawn told me about the Barnardo’s Young People’s Grant. She worked with the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service Community Team to help me apply to purchase a new bike for my daughter. It was greatly appreciated when the grant was approved. It was great in helping my daughter become more active and start thinking more about how she can incorporate physical activity into her everyday routine.
“I didn’t know we could apply for this kind of support, but it’s been a great help as it would have been difficult financially to buy my daughter a bike myself.”
“The best thing for me is that biking is something my daughter enjoys doing.
Abeni
Elena's mum
“Having the bike will definitely help increase the amount of time Elena spends doing physical activity outdoors. Not having to worry about paying for it took away the stress and I really appreciated that.
“The best thing for me is that biking is something my daughter enjoys doing. It’s also helped her complete her Bikeability at school and she was able to use her own bike to complete the course which was amazing. Not only has it helped her build her cycling skills—it’s also helped increase her confidence and transformed other areas of her life. It’s improved her ability to get outside, get healthy and cycle by herself.
"Not only has it helped her build her cycling skills—it’s also helped increase her confidence"
“Having this support means that my daughter can use her bike over the summer holidays, keep active and be more social which is a Godsend.”
*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the families we support.
“I can’t remember the last time I felt so happy... and I saw that happiness in my kids as well.” Lisa’s story
Lisa* is a mum of two who recently received support through the Barnardo's poverty fund to purchase camping equipment so she could make positive summertime memories with her two children aged 15 and 10. Here, she shares her experience.
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