SI Middlesbrough have worked alongside The Bungalow Partnership for a number of years by providing treats for the families at Easter and Christmas, knitted teddies for the children, and general support for the work of the organisation.
Our latest contribution in preparation for the festive season includes the usual goodies plus colouring books and crayons for the children.
The Director and one of the original founders, Marie Blythe, was recently featured in the Darlington and Stockton Times in an article which highlighted her dedication to children whose emotional well-being had been impacted by poverty, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Marie’s work includes using play and the language of children in order to explore the difficulties in their lives. She says “You try to see the world through their eyes…..you try to gain their trust – we are not the experts, the child is”.
Marie’s current project involves working alongside Redcar & Cleveland Council to support kinship carers, usually grandparents, looking after their own grandchildren in situations when they have had to be removed from their own parents. The project provides wrap-around care for these families.
Marie’s colleagues say that she is selfless in her advocacy for these children and an inspiration to those around her. Members of SIM definitely agree!