Inspirative Arts changes lives. We provide arts therapies and therapeutic arts for children and adults facing a wide range of challenges.

Our specialist staff use art, music, dance, drama and intensive interaction, working in person-centred ways to nurture healing, growth and personal development; transforming people's lives. Sadly current funding restrictions mean not everyone can access our services. Here's how you can help!

Members of the Inspirative Arts team are each taking the challenge of running the distance of 26.2 miles (the distance of a full marathon), over the period of 31 days.

The £1000 we are asking for will enable us to take our services out into communities, establishing at least 1 new group in a community setting or providing up to 30 free one to one or group sessions for people with no other sources of funding or support.

In the past year more than 100 people (adults and children) have used our services. This includes:

-Victims of violence

-Young people with autism struggling to cope with transition into the adult world;

-People with learning disabilities or mental health problems who feel isolated and alone;

-Families coping with separation or loss;

-People living with long-term conditions who are struggling with deterioration and change.

We need you to enable us to serve people like this when they need us most. Many people use personal budgets to access our help, however many others don't qualify for this support. They might find themselves facing unexpected trauma, transition or change; stuck on waiting lists for other services; or waiting for new assessments of their changing lives. These are often the people who need us most. Many people we work with feel very alone in dealing with their problems. Sadly some mistakenly believe they deserve the difficulties they face. This damages their self-image and destroys their confidence. They call on us in desperation, and it is heart-breaking to see them deteriorate whilst we fight for funding to provide the services they need.

We create safe spaces where people come together to be creative, play, and off-load. Therapeutic arts enable people to express themselves positively, rather than resorting to violent, self-harming or disruptive behaviours to show emotional needs. Creative resources like paint, clay, drums, puppets, masks and costumes enable people to work through their issues safely, using dramatic distance, metaphor and symbolism; validating their experiences and enabling them to feel heard, acknowledged and valued. Storyboards, objects and role-play give people opportunities to experiment with life situations, building confidence and practicing coping strategies for future experiences. Music, movement and image-making enable us to express things we don't have words to say.

Working together using therapeutic arts increases people's confidence, self-awareness and assertiveness, offering creative ways to recognise issues, explore, reflect and resolve feelings about oneself and others. Meeting others in similar situations overcomes the sense of being "different" or at fault, whilst creating together develops communication and team-building skills, enabling people to make connections and feel more confident. Building trust in this way is transformative, enabling people to build healthy relationships and combat loneliness. We work with healthy aspects of self; enabling people of all ages to identify the personal strengths and wisdom they have gained through adversity. People grow in confidence, self-image, self-esteem and self-worth.

We would really, really appreciate your help; enabling us to grow our services and reach more people; enabling vulnerable people to grow and thrive too.