Elizabeth Feltoe

emotional wellbeing

Are you feeling lonely?

It's mental health awareness week this week (9-15 May). This is a week that the charity The Mental Health Foundation uses to raise awareness of a different mental health experience each year. This year the focus is on loneliness. Along with many other emotional and mental health struggles, it's a

The rhythms of life...

If you’re a regular reader of the Phase blog you will know that at the start of each school term the team takes a two day retreat. This is a break from the regular weekly routine for some reflection, recharging and planning. We spend time thinking, praying, chatting, planning,

emotional wellbeing

Learning to be vulnerable

In this guest blog friend of Phase, Rebekah Bacon, talks to us about vulnerability - what it is, when we notice it and how we can benefit from being more vulnerable with people. A little while ago, I sat down with Kieran (the director of Phase) to talk about vulnerability.

celebration

Celebrating success

When was the last time you gave yourself a metaphorical high five? When you had a proper think about what you did well, achieved or managed to accomplish through your hard work? Interesting, isn't it, that most of us (well, speaking personally!) quite often focus on things that we could

endings

Ready, steady... plan for secondary school

I’ve been on the road with the Phase team in recent weeks supporting Emily to deliver the first round of our Year 6 programme On Your Marks. If you’re a regular reader of our newsletter or this blog, it might be a familiar name. It’s the workshops

connecting

Step back to move forward

Earlier this week the Phase team went on retreat. We took two days out to spend time learning together, reflecting and thinking, and hanging out together as a group of friends and colleagues. It’s different from your standard team away day in that we didn’t once talk about

mental health

What is normal now...

Hello Phase friends Sending Spring good wishes to everyone. As I’m writing this it’s sunny and I’m in the warmest room in my house even though I know in real life it’s only 10 degrees outside! This week’s blog is a ponder on the unlocking.

habits

Why I love reading

It was World Book Day on the 3rd March and I have a secret to tell you. Probably one of the only good things about schools being closed is that I didn’t have to scratch around at 10pm on the 2nd March to make two dressing up outfits for

lockdown

Happy New Year Hitchin

Where do we start then, friends?! There’s so much to say but we’ll keep this brief. Phase knows that the start of 2021 has been difficult and upsetting, to put it mildly. You may be experiencing anxiety, stress and worry for many people in Hitchin (and of course

social media

TV review - The Social Dilemma

I watched this Netflix documentary last week. I’ve changed the way I consume social media as a result. It’s a docu-drama (half documentary and half fictionalised scenes of a ‘normal’ family interacting with each other and their phones) that discusses how social media companies monetise our attention, what

anxiety

World Mental Health Day

Tomorrow (10th October) it’s World Mental Health Day. This is the day that the World Health Organisation uses to highlight mental health issues, and this year’s theme is ‘mental health for all’. Now, perhaps more than ever, we are talking more about how we feel inside our heads.

rest

Time to replenish

In the second of her series for Phase looking at finding and using our strengths, Sarah Crittenden makes some suggestions for finding space for R&R... we like the sound of that! Someone said to me the other day that they thought their current lifestyle wasn't so much 'working

Coronavirus

Finding your strengths

In the first of a mini-series from guest contributor Sarah Crittenden, we will explore what strengths are, ways to work out yours , and how to make the most of them, applying them in your daily life. Sarah is a strengths coach and knows her mustard! She helps people and teams

6th form

In case of a global pandemic, break glass

Sam Hankin, Head of Computing at The Priory School in Hitchin, tells Phase how the school has adapted to home learning for students Two weeks before Boris Johnson announced UK schools were to close indefinitely The Priory School had already begun to prepare for the worst-case scenario, along with pretty

change

Switching off in lockdown

It's amazing to think how much life has changed in the last seven weeks. Regardless of whether you're at school, work, volunteering, furloughed, at home with young children, some of all of the above, where we spend our time is changed for everyone. I've been finding the lines between different

Coronavirus

Adapting, surviving and then... thriving!!

Unprecedented times, the new normal, lockdown, social distancing, self-isolation  – change is on every horizon and in every aspect of life as we knew it. So what are Phase up to and what are we doing as we all tread carefully into the future? As Director I wanted to share a

Coronavirus

Staying active in lockdown

Wow, so how are you coping with lockdown? It's hard isn't it? I have settled into a new routine of sorts, but I'm still finding it a bit unsettling. Phase has been giving you some tips in the last few weeks about how to keep on top of your feelings

Time Trek

Time Trek holiday club

Guest blog by Carys Faulkner, young leader at Time Trek Time Trek holiday clubs are early anticipated in Hitchin!! They are run by local churches in the school holidays and Phase gets involved providing leaders, resources and ideas. In the recent Feburary half term a half day holiday club was

goals

The tricky art of elephant eating

Did you notice this new year that lots of people were talking about their ‘goals’ rather than their ‘new year’s resolutions’? It might just be the circle of friends I have or the people that I see on Instagram, but it felt like a shift to me. I think

ditch the news

"The news and the truth are not the same thing..."

Said a wise man once, Walter Lippmann in fact, the American journalist credited with coining the term 'Cold War' and writing extensively on media and democracy. I try to follow world news but I’m rather selective on what I read and what I ignore. When newspapers and the nightly

team

Reflection and planning

Photo by Nikola Jelenkovic / Unsplash We’re coming close to the end of the year now. Christmas anticipation is looming, parties are in full swing, schools are focused on getting to the end of Friday 20th and presents are being bought and wrapped. How are you feeling about Christmas? We

reflection

So, here it is, Merry Chr...

Too early?! Never! Despite having young children I am usually the first in my house to want to put the tree up, the lights round the front door and the mulled wine opened. I have also opened day one of my advent calendar, despite it only being the 29th November.

team

Volunteering and why it's super cool

Amanda gives us her wisdom about volunteering. Looking after other people (being a friend, a good member of the community or taking on a cause) are all ways to help other people One of the best ways to help look after other people is by volunteering! If you volunteer in

social media

Say cheese!!

It’s World Smile Day today, Friday 4th October. That Friday feeling usually makes me break out in a grin, I have to say. Friday is my favourite day of the week because you have all of the anticipation of the weekend ahead plus I get to have pizza on

self care

Get going!...

I have my lovely Dad to thank for my love of being active. Sunday afternoons were designated as Family Activity (known as FA!) time when we would tramp round the chilly Derbyshire countryside, visit a National Trust property or be forced to mow the lawn or cut hedges. At the