Young Carers: A perspective from Angie Jones – Young Carers Service Lead
Angie Jones works for Spurgeons Young Carers as Service Manager in Wolverhampton and Deputy Manager for Birmingham and is herself a former young carer. She shares some insights into her work with Natasha Krywald from our Communications Team, also a…
When does too much gaming become a problem?
While we might have some awareness that too much gaming is bad for kids, it has long been unclear how much screen time is unhealthy. Although gaming has been hugely popular ever since Nintendo exploded onto the scene in the…
Poems help to heal family bonds
Kerry Longhorn, Service Lead on Spurgeons Invisible Walls project in HMP Winchester says, “We ran a Dads Together group, an informal lunchtime session where dads could talk to us and each other about fatherhood and families. As part of this…
Backpack is a lifeline to families fleeing abuse
Nearly one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.* It can take enormous courage for a woman to leave an abusive partner; they may worry about where they can go, or that their partner will…
School transport helps a family leave domestic abuse behind
Domestic abuse does not just impact the parent but also their children. Regine tells us how she was able to help one such family move on by helping them solve an unusual problem. “Tara* had fled domestic abuse with her…
When slow cookers beat fast food
Natalie Haymes, our Children’s Services Lead at Perry Barr District Children’s Centre, shares how homeless families in the area are being persuaded to give up chicken and chips for something much healthier and tastier. “Most of us would say we…
A day in the life of Regine – Family Centre Support Worker
Regine, a Spurgeons Family Support Worker at Elmbridge Family Centres, gives us an insight into her work. “My role is to support families so they can build on their strengths and resilience to best meet the needs of their children.…
Loyal Royal service after missed coronation
Old Scholar Phillip Chancellor was born in 1946. He entered Spurgeons in 1950 at the age of 4 and left in 1961 at 15. He started at Birchington Hall in Stamford and then in Twynham. Ms Rutland was the Matron…
How to talk to children about the invasion of Ukraine
Images of fathers leaving their families to stay behind. Videos of explosions. Photographs of children harmed. How should we talk about the Ukraine crisis with our children? Our Fegans counsellors provide some suggestions below for engaging in conversations about the situation…