Testimonials
When my daughter started at Arts4Life, we had reached a point where she was unable to socialise, attend school, go on outings, and was really at risk of losing out on any of the good parts of her teen years.
She was so anxious that even going for a walk involved serious planning and debriefing afterwards, which sucked all the joy out of things for her. On our first day it took a lot of work to get her to even walk through the door.
In the space of less than a year, not only was M able to attend Arts4Life sessions, but she was beginning to offer her time on a voluntary basis to help others within the project. She can now envision a future for herself, has chosen to return to education, is making and keeping appropriate friends, and is beginning to see that she has value as a person.
I credit Arts4Life with all of these steps forward. They have literally changed our lives.
Arts for Life Project is an incredible charity that has provided a one to one therapy to our neurodiverse son, who struggles with his self-esteem, dysregulation, and finds it hard to make and keep friends. He now attends regular weekly group sessions at Arts for Life Project. He absolutely adores his therapist and has always really looked forward to the sessions. Beth, Cassidy and rest of the team have created a beautiful, safe and inspiring space for children who struggle with their mental health.
Our son comes out of the sessions super happy, relaxed and can’t wait to return the following week. Beth has created an absolute oasis for children who struggle with their emotions and feelings and provide invaluable therapeutic value. Our son has started talking more about his deep feelings and how he is affected by them as well learning how to help himself when he is dysregulated or overwhelmed.
We never had any help from the school or CAHMs. In fact, we have been on a waiting list for over 16 months but no help was ever given to our son. Arts for Life Project is the first place that has improved his mental health.
Thank you so much for all you do for all the kids that the system has failed.
Arts for Life’s wonderful staff make my child forget about her anxieties and feel like a valued individual.
During the art sessions she gets so much kind support, attentive care and genuine interest in her abilities that it fills her with happiness and confidence. It is her home outside of home and she wishes she could attend every evening of the week, not just on Tuesdays.
I think we all could do with such supportive groups outside of family. Every activity is creative and well prepared for, my child gets excited and tells me all about her experience, the sessions she was looking forward to and new things she tried. She proudly keeps everything she has made. We are glad she has her Arts for Life!
My daughter has autism, anxiety, and a number of other challenges.
Words cannot describe how much Arts for Life has helped her, and our entire family. For the first time, she is making friends, her confidence is growing, and she’s opening up about how she’s feeling. She no longer locks herself in her room every day after school, and looks forward to every session.
The whole team have been so amazing. I can’t put words down to adequately describe how grateful we are that she has found a safe and creative space to go every week. I honestly don’t know where we would be today without it. Thank you.
Thank you Beth. This doesn’t even do it justice I find it hard to put into written words!! I could write an essay on how amazing you all are.
Attending Art for therapy classes has been a life changing experience for my child. It is his safe space where he can explore various forms of art form and socialise with children who are neurodiverse like him.
The staff are extremely caring and have the necessary training required to support his needs and others. The organisation also provides a space for parents to attend to their wellbeing in the form of a cafe which has alot of therapeutic activities . It’s also a friendly space for parents to get together and support each other .
My children have been part of Arts for Life for a while and it has changed their lives. My daughter suffers from social anxiety and my son has a life limiting genetic condition, cognitive delay and is on the Autism spectrum.
I can’t thank the staff enough for taking on these challenges with so much dedication and consistently finding ways to help them grow through art therapy, other interactive sessions and trips.
Their patience, attention, love and kindness has created a safe space for them to express themselves, be confident and really be who they are. They are excited for the sessions and look forward to it every week.
I would also like to share some heartfelt feedback about Aaryan's experiences with the art sessions. Transitioning to his first year of secondary school was a challenging period for him, and participating in the Arts for Life project was incredibly beneficial. He had high praises for you Beth, noting how your clear explanations and trust in handling materials greatly enhanced his learning experience. He appreciated the opportunity to learn from his mistakes, the faith shown in his artistic abilities, and the meaningful conversations that arose from the sessions. These discussions have opened new avenues for dialogue about emotional regulation and the therapeutic value of art at home. It's evident that these sessions have provided him with much joy and a strong sense of belonging.
As his mother, I hope Arts for Life will receive the necessary funding to continue and even expand its remarkable initiatives. The unique and specialist support you offer to young people is unparalleled and indispensable. Please feel free to share this feedback in any way that may support your valuable work.