Growing Hope
Hope for children. Hope for families. Hope in Jesus.
Free therapy for children and young people with additional needs and their families in partnership with local churches across the UK
Initial inspiration
Growing Hope was inspired by lack of therapy provision and support for children and young people with additional needs. 14.4% of children in the education system in the UK have special educational needs, according to the Department for education.[1] 91% of families of children with additional needs across Europe reported a cut in service in the three years prior to 2017.[2]
I saw first-hand children and families in the NHS waiting for months and sometimes over a year for therapy provision. I met families in private practice who were scraping together money they could not afford to give away because they wanted their child to have the benefit of therapy. I had worked in Thailand and India and seen the local church step into the healthcare gap and provide free therapy for children, young people and families, whilst enabling them to hear about Jesus and connect into church community. When I stopped to ask God ‘What’s in my hands?’ I felt strongly that as an occupational therapist I could do something with the local church that both provided free healthcare families desperately needed, but also enabled an openly Christian setting where I could speak God’s love and value over everyone I came across.
How it all started
It all started with having the courage to share the idea of setting up a charity with my friends. After a little while, lots of prayer, and a vision of what it could look like, I then shared it with Pete Hughes, leader of KXC. Once I’d shared the idea I was challenged to pray, refine and develop it. Around 18 months from the initial conversation with Pete, Growing Hope became a registered charity.
Memorable highs along the journey
There are so many highs along the journey. Here are just a few:
Gaining our original charity status for both charities – the vision has always been to set up a model in which local churches can grow hope and provide free therapy across the UK. Therefore from the get go we set up an umbrella national charity, Growing Hope, and then our first local clinic, Growing Hope King’s Cross. Growing Hope wants to see 20 clinics set up in partnership with local churches across the UK by 2030.
I vividly remember getting our first £10,000 grant early on in February 2018, it felt like such a blessing to have the first seeds of funding that enabled us to launch.
Our first Growing Hope King’s Cross fundraising ball in which we had over 150 guests hearing about the launch of Growing Hope King’s Cross and we could share what we were doing.
Seeing the first child in clinic and seeing that child reach their goals.
Being able to connect with families who otherwise have no support and seeing them connect into church.
Receiving our first referral from an NHS therapist was such a joy because it meant we were becoming more well known, and that being a faith based charity was not stopping referrals.
Formational lows
The challenges of the journey and the low points are so formational and have led to changes in structure, set up and running of Growing Hope. Here are a few:
The first moment of realising that the trustees could make a decision I didn’t agree with. I learnt I had to now share the leading of the idea that I had with others.
Feeling exhausted from the amount of work it takes as a pioneer a charity which at times has led to making mistakes and having to own these. This has led to me learning how to delegate where I can and to give responsibility for some aspects of what we’re doing to other people. This has also drawn me ever deeper into dependency on God – my prayer is often that he helps me to trust him for his provision and to give me wisdom for what to do because he has enabled Growing Hope to launch and flourish.
Fundraising challenges, particularly one around December 2018 where we knew we had money coming in, but it had not yet arrived in our account. Difficult conversations with trustees about the realities of possibly having to be paid less days in my role was formational.
Seeing children and families in clinic who have complex needs and situations, being able to pray for them and invite them to church and then not being able to keep in touch with them or see them come along when they’ve said yes to invitations. I have learnt that it takes time to build relationships with families and to be able to trust God for the seeds he sows in the process of a family connecting with Growing Hope, whatever that looks like.
Having the opportunity to expand and seeing others appear to catch the vision and be on board with it and then at the last moment deciding that they could not take it on. This has led to me adjusting part of the conversation about setting up new clinics and also a greater dependency on trusting that God will bring growth at the right time.
Foundation verses that have inspired along the way
We want each child, young person and adult who comes in contact with Growing Hope to know they are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (psalm 139) by our amazing creator.
‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Romans 15:13
Key advice to other pioneers
Don’t be afraid to push the door and to pursue what you feel God calling you into.
Gather people that you trust around you who will pray and help you discern what to do and when to do it.
Choose to celebrate the formational lows and what they enable you to learn in your pioneering.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask people with different skills (marketing, admin skills, fundraising skills) to help you with different parts of your venture.
Our why
Growing Hope aims to bridge the gap between need and provision by providing complimentary therapy services, such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and counselling, to enable children to reach their developmental potential.
Financial Model
Growing Hope raises funding through grants & donations at both an umbrella & local charity level. The partnership with the local church plays a key role in supporting the key worker. Approximate £50k is raised to support each local Growing Hope.
Growing Hope is also starting to explore income generation through services. Growing Hope umbrella charity is providing training and consultancy to generate income. Growing Hope King’s Cross is looking to launch an ethical clothing brand to income generate at a local level.
Team
Naomi Graham
Growing Hope was set up by Naomi Graham, Founder and CEO. Naomi spends part of her time working as an Occupational Therapist with Growing Hope King’s Cross.
The team also consists of several trustees, volunteers and other therapists who work within Growing Hope King’s Cross the first local clinic.
Timing
Growing Hope and Growing Hope King’s Cross became registered charities in December 2017. The first clinic launched in February 2018.
Funding
Each Growing Hope requires approximately £50k to support it operationally. Approximately 40% of its funding comes from regular donations and church support, 40% from grants, and the remaining 20% from fundraising events.
Structure
Growing Hope currently consists of two charitable incorporated organisations-
Growing Hope - an umbrella charity stewarding the values of Growing Hope, and
Growing Hope Kings Cross - a local charity partnered with Kings Cross Church.
Members & staff from KXC are involved with Governance at the local and national level
Location
Get in touch
Footnotes
[1] Department for Education (2017) Special Educational Needs in England: January 2017. London: Department for Education
[2] Horridge, K/A., Dew, R., Chatelin, A., Steal, A., Meio Macias, L., Cioni, G., Kachmar, O., Wilkes, S. (2019) Austerity and families with disabled children@ a European sruvery. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 61 (3): 329-336
