Growing Hope is a Christian charity providing free therapy to children and young people with additional needs, through setting up clinics in partnership with local churches across the UK
Growing Hope is on a mission to set up 20 free therapy clinics in partnership with local churches across the country by 2030. Therapists so often see children and families who have lost hope. Whether it’s due to long waiting lists, challenges at school or difficulties with everyday activities like sleeping, eating, or playing, each family we see has their own story.
Dr Naomi Fox founded Growing Hope in 2017 because she saw the opportunity that therapists have to bring hope to children through free therapy services. Naomi has worked in both NHS and private settings, where many families were stuck on long waiting lists or had not been getting the support and intervention they needed. During a trip to Thailand and India, she witnessed the local church bridging the gap in healthcare services and felt encouraged and inspired that this might be possible within the UK too. Growing Hope’s national charity launched in 2017, and at the same time as the first clinic, in partnership with King’s Cross Church. Since then, two more clinics have opened in Brockley and High Wycombe. So far, over 1,300 children, parents, carers and siblings have been supported through our free services.
Free therapy and holistic support
We believe that partnering with churches helps to bring transformation to the whole community, giving families who so often feel rejected or isolated the opportunity to experience belonging. Our services are open to those of all faiths and none. We aim for our services to be as accessible as possible, so we receive referrals from parents, carers, GPs and schools and do not need a formal diagnosis to start intervention. Currently we offer occupational, music, art, speech and language therapy and children’s counselling.
Parents of children with additional needs carry considerable worry about their futures. When new clients arrive at our clinics, they often express relief at finally receiving help, after waiting months or even years for services. We see first-hand the need for holistic support for the whole family, which is why we created our When Dreams Change course and Siblings Groups for parents, carers and siblings of children with additional needs. These courses were designed by an occupational therapist and a counsellor, and incorporate therapeutic techniques to help families to address emotional and relational challenges they might be facing. Run by trained volunteer facilitators for families in local communities, they enable us to reach widely beyond our clinic areas. We also champion accessibility within schools, churches, and organisations, through our Accessibility Awards and training, to equip them to become welcoming and inclusive places where everyone is seen, heard and able to belong.
Growing Hope was particularly delighted to have attended the inaugural OT Excellence Awards earlier this summer and to have received an Award of Merit for Excellence in the Charity Sector. It was a well-organised celebration of the good work happening in a huge variety of disciplines, and a fantastic opportunity to connect with other inspiring organisations and individuals. It was wonderful that organisations such as Growing Hope could be acknowledged for the work we all do, advocating for and bringing services to often marginalised communities, while maintaining a high standard of care.
Our Impact
Connor is a little boy who came to Growing Hope for music therapy sessions with our therapist, Louise. He worked so hard towards his goals in therapy, finding new ways to express his big feelings through music and art and sharing them with his parents so that they could understand and support him more. Connor also showed courage and resilience in being able to speak to other Growing Hope staff, which was usually a very big worry for him.
“Our music therapy sessions have been life changing for our family. The sessions have helped him to understand that his big feelings are ok and have given us strategies to support him. The time he has had at Growing Hope has seen him flourish in confidence with an adult outside of our family unit. We cannot thank the therapists enough for the love, care and time they have given us all.” - Connor’s Mum
Clinical outcomes in both individual sessions and groups are measured using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) which allows individualised goals to be set for each child – used in healthcare research and effective for therapy practice. GAS goals are set in categories such as emotional regulation, social skills, dressing, eating, speech and communication. In 2023, our clinics supported 324 children, and 87% of GAS goals were achieved.
“A recent highlight of working for Growing Hope was a parent returning after just one session with a huge smile because their child had started sleeping through the night. Sometimes just having someone listen and suggest small tweaks in routine can have a huge impact. There are so many things we can't fix - but ensuring parents feel heard is a crucial part of what we do, and making a difference for them is such a privilege." - Karen Powell, Occupational Therapist at Growing Hope King’s Cross
Our visionWe know that there are still so many parents across the country who are left waiting without the support they need for their children or for themselves, and that's why we're on a mission to set up 20 free therapy clinics across the country by 2030, to equip hundreds of churches and community groups to be more accessible. We’re excited to see how the journey unfolds as we continue to bring hope to families across the UK.
If you’d like to find out more about Growing Hope, the services we provide and how you can get involved, head to GrowingHope.org.uk.
