A BRAND new service will soon be available for children in Redditch who find making friends tricky and socialising a challenge.
The group BENS (Bond Enrich Nurture Support) is aimed at children aged between five and 12 who are struggling with social, emotional and communication needs.
Group leader, Kelly Ordish, hopes that BENS will help youngsters and families throughout Redditch come together to share their experiences – and learn new things too.
Kelly said: “BENS is for those children who find school daunting, kids who find it hard to make friends or who feel they don’t fit in.
“Sometimes kids don’t always know how to say something so they just don’t bother at all.
“We hope to provide families with their own group where they can meet other parents who may be going through the same things.
“You can share experiences and successes and hopefully try some new things with your children in a relaxed atmosphere.”
The peer to peer support group will be running from the REDI centre in South Street on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening beginning in November.
The service is free for some families and Kelly, who is launching the group after receiving two year’s worth of funding from independent charity HealthThrive, added: “I understand how difficult it can be watching your child suffer, going through trauma and the backlash that it can cause at home. We want to make a difference together.
“BENS is not the same as other groups – we want the kids to be responsible for making decisions and planning for the next session. They really get to make it their own.”
Chief Executeive of People’s Health Trust, John Hume, said: “This project brings real value to the health and well-being of the local community and we are delighted to be supporting it.”
Call Kelly on 07958 100 433 or email [email protected] to find out more.
