This year our Action for Brain Injury Week campaign was all about brain injury in the Early Years. Over the coming months we will be focusing on brain injury in younger children. We also launched our Early Years training sessions, available to those working with children under five years of age.
Our staff will be visiting nursery schools and day care centres across the UK to deliver specialist training on brain injury. We are asking our supporters, friends and families to spread the word about our work and to encourage their child’s nursery to get involved. We can deliver training in person or online via our e-learning technology. This means that staff can access training at a time and place that suits them. To register simply visit our learning events page here.
Of course there is some fun stuff happening too, like our Teddy Bear Toddle. These sponsored events help to raise much needed funds to support our work with families. To request a pack with posters, stickers, and all you need to get involved, email teddy@cbituk.org.
Speaking of fun things to do the Northern Ireland team held a mini sensory session for families. Working in partnership with Leanne and Laura from Mini Explorers NI, a small number of families were invited to a sensory workshop in the Belfast office. This pilot event was a great success and something we would like to expand on in the future. There was loads to do with playdoh, goo and multi-coloured spaghetti and if you fancied something not quite so messy you could go into the chill out area with soft lighting, cuddly toys and a giant teddy bear.
Families were given a basket of sensory toys and equipment to take away with an ideas card to make use of at home.
“It was a great day for the kids” reported one Mum while another commented “I thought it was very good for my son, he had a fab time”. It was also a chance to meet other parents in a similar situation, “talking to other parents really helps”.
We would like to thank Mini Explorers for making the day so much fun, and for helping to clean up at the end of the session!