Phase Hitchin

wellbeing

Mental Health Awareness Week (18th - 24th May)

This coming week is Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme for this year being Kindness. We are at a time in life where looking after our mental health and wellbeing has never been so important. Our normal routines, and ways of life have changed, and we have had to

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

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

resilience

Coping with Change

We are in a time where we are all having to adapt, find new routines and rhythms, as what we previously knew and understood has changed. As I was reflecting on how we cope with change, and what I have personally found helpful during this time, three things came to

endings

Missing Endings

Over the past month, it seems like the entire world has been turned upside down. I was looking back at some photos and found me and a friend having breakfast together. We had talked about how her research was going to have to dramatically change style if the coronavirus closed

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

virtual mentoring

Virtual Mentoring

As we all go through this incredibly difficult season of isolation where routines, rhythms and everyday normality has been removed, it can make us feel lost, fearful and uncertain about what the future holds. At Phase we are passionate about equipping children and young people to journeying through adolescence, whereby

6th form

Grow Workshops

Guest blog from Olivia Truscott, a sixth form volunteer for Grow. Over the past term, we have started a year 5 workshop series called Grow, looking at building resilience, understanding emotions, and managing change and disappointment. We have had an amazing team of 6th form students from local Hitchin schools

Young People

Changing the landscape COVID-19

We have lived through a week that will define a generation. The COVID-19 crisis has turned the world upside down for all, but mostly for our children and young people. As the dust settles and we come to terms with the likelihood of schools being closed until September, with the

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

Vitality Big Half

Run, they say? It will be fun! This coming Sunday 5 of us will be running the Vitality Big Half  in order to raise money for Phase. Right now I am definitley feeling a mixture of emotions, ranging from excitment to terrified!! > But why are we doing this...? Because

The Studio

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aged 11-18 years? Fancy a time to be creative? To meet with others? A space to chill out and chat…? > Why not come and try out the Studio... The Studio provides a space to be, create, talk, make new friends, learn new skills and have some fun! 4pm-5pm

kindness

Random Acts of Kindness

Have you ever carried out a random act of kindness? Or been on the receiving end of one? There are some amazing stories I have heard of incredible acts of generosity. A friend recently told me of a time when he was making the huge and difficult choice to quit

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

parents

Managing emotions

As part of our Grow workshop, we have been looking at positive ways for children to manage their emotions and have encouraged them to reflect on strategies that they would find helpful when they feel angry, sad or worried. This page will explain some of the strategies used, as well

mental wellbeing

Blue Monday...

This coming Monday (20th January) has gained the name Blue Monday. The third Monday in January is supposedly the day when due to a number of factors including the weather, failure to stick to new year’s resolutions, debt level, Christmas seeming a long time ago, people are feeling at

Try something new

New year, new decade, new start, new hopes, new dreams, new, new, new!! As we begin a brand new year it can be a great time to think about how we want this year to be different from the last, a chance to reflect on the changes we can make

team

Reflection and planning

Photo by Nikola Jelenkovic [https://unsplash.com/@joe_banana?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit] / Unsplash [https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit] We’re coming close to the end of the year now. Christmas anticipation is looming,

Faith

The Heart of Christmas

Today is the end of two weeks of our Christmas Unwrapped workshop, where we are able to share the story of the first Christmas with 15 groups of Year 6 students in Hitchin. One of the central messages of the workshop is how we have wrapped the message of Christmas

hope

Bringing Hope this Christmas...

Christmas lights have been switched on, Christmas music is playing, and it is now only 19 days until Christmas! I wonder what it is that you are hoping for this Christmas? What is it that you are expectant for? With hope comes that anticipation, that waiting. As we enter this

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

Tales of the unexpected

Recently I was telling someone about the work that I do at Phase as the Office Manager – the 5 areas that I cover (Office Admin / Finances / HR / Supporters / Communications) and what that entails for each area. But, as I thought about this a bit more it became apparent that actually

mentoring

Mentoring; a space to grow

What do you do if you don’t know how to do something, say some DIY? Perhaps you would look for some videos on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com], read some articles or even call a friend you know who has the knowledge you need. In a small way this

resilience

R is for Resilience

How would you define resilience? This is the question that we get the students thinking about when we deliever our year 7 and year 8 resilience workshops. As part of the work of Phase, we deliver workshops to students in year 7 and year 8 looking at the topic of