This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week (12th – 18th May) is community, highlighting the importance of safe and supportive communities for mental wellbeing. In this blog post, Challengers staff member Maddie Church shares more about The Hub at Challengers and how it’s creating a community of support for families of disabled children.
Allow me to introduce myself…I’m Maddie and I work at Challengers as the Impact and Evaluation Officer. My role is multi-faceted, and day-to-day I work to ensure we’re delivering the very best service for our young people, families, staff and local authorities, but I also work as a child listener and last year I started delivering training for other parent carers through The Hub.
Outside of work, I’m also a mum to two wonderful daughters, the youngest of which has Williams Syndrome and ASD, meaning I am also navigating the complex and often challenging path that comes with being a parent carer of a disabled child.
If you’ve not heard of The Hub, it’s a community initiative run by Challengers which is specifically designed to support families of disabled children and help them feel less isolated. We run lots of events for families and parents, including Family Fun Days, coffee mornings and one-to-one support sessions. These are fully funded which means they are free to attend, and we’re open to any parent or family in the community who could use our help. Many families who have used the Hub don’t access other Challengers services, and we’ve supported over 400 families since we started the initiative in 2023. From time to time we also host parent workshops including the Healthy Parent Carer Programme, and we’re part of the team delivering Cygnet Autism Support in Surrey.
At Challengers, and particularly through The Hub, we deeply understand the value of community and the impact this can have on your mental health. In fact, one of the charity’s key objectives for our 2024-2029 strategy is to create a community of support for families of disabled children, and it’s something we’re fully committed to as we know the transformative effect the right support can have on families’ mental health and wellbeing.
This year’s theme of community mental health deeply resonates with me, both personally and professionally. Raising a disabled child comes with unique set of challenges, and connecting with others who genuinely understand can be life-changing.
The Hub provides exactly this – a safe and nurturing community which not only offers a listening ear, but also practical, emotional and educational support. The mutual understanding, empathy, shared laughter and even tears remind us that we’re never alone in our struggles – even if it sometimes feels like we are.
Along with another parent carer, I have been delivering the Healthy Parent Carer Programme – a free, six-week course designed to enhance the health and wellbeing of parent carers. The aim is to give parent carers an opportunity to explore how they can look after their own health and wellbeing – something that is often the lowest of our priority list when you have additional caring responsibilities.
I personally see the positive impact of this daily, both as a facilitator and as a parent benefiting from the support of the Challengers community, and know other parents carers feel the same.
Past participants of our Hub courses have said:
“Looking after yourself isn’t selfish, it actually expands your capacity to give all you can.”
“Everyone should do this course. The delivery is amazing and the understanding of each individual taking part, and the sense of belonging and community is second to none.”
“I found it really useful with realistic goals that work around our everyday life and caring roles. I also met a lovely bunch of people.”
Our Family Fun Days, held at our Farnham and Guildford centres, are another brilliant tool for bringing people together and fostering a community of support. Families of disabled (and non-disabled) children can come together in a safe and non-judgmental space, enjoy the facilities and connect with others who share similar experiences. We’ve met some lovely families there, and I know many children and parents have forged friendships from these days. When you have a disabled child, often you miss out on the social aspect that school and extra-curricular activities usually bring, so to meet other people who get it and experience the same is such a relief!
Positive mental health thrives in communities of genuine support and connection, and I’m very proud to say that The Hub at Challengers truly embodies this. This Mental Health Awareness Week, I encourage you to learn more about the Hub and our free events, and share with someone who might need our support – it could make the world of difference.
Find out more about The Hub and how we’re supporting families of disabled children and the wider community.