ViciSTILL CIC

2023

Well, 2023 what a year! Funding, for which we are super grateful to the National Lottery and its players again, meant that we could offer 12 programs in the community. This year, we extended our provision to offer confidence and anxiety coaching through our STILL Method program, as well as group Drawing and Talking, a therapeutic play program that supports individuals to understand and process emotions. Again, this year our focus was on women and young people.

What was even more special about this year was the amount of fabulous feedback that we had. Children always say lovely things, but it was the adult feedback that especially hit home. The fact that the methods that were being learnt, were then being used and passed on. Women changed jobs, left toxic relationships, boosted their confidence to take on new roles, or to run book clubs. One was even elected as Deputy Lord Mayor!  These are skills for life and Karen and I use them every day ourselves. The feedback below really summed it all up for us. As ex-teachers, we know how important it is to teach the skills to boost confidence, resilience and have practical tools to calm overwhelm. Yes, we need more of this in schools but in the meantime, every attendee at our sessions is another voice, passing on the advice and support that they have gained.

“I went to the confidence club to find out what the techniques were about and if they could help me with my own lifelong anxiety and stress issues but also to see if I could apply the techniques in my role as a mental health first aider to teenagers. It turned out to be so much more than I thought it would be.

Amanda and Karen are so lovely, experienced and passionate about what they do, their enthusiasm is infectious. While they are both very different individuals, their passion, commitment and life experience brings something genuinely magical in a group. I watched our group evolve from a really quite nervous and tentative coffee morning kind of vibe (though our meetings were in the evening!) into a brave, exploratory, honest (and sometimes hilarious) gathering of comfortable, flawed, brave, open and empowered women.

Confidence club is an understatement. I found myself using the techniques daily, while not always perfectly, the concepts seem to sit within you through wonderful, compassionate teaching and demonstration that means you can integrate them into whatever you do on a daily basis. I've also used them in my professional role to talk young people through panic attacks, stressful situations and through coaching. On one notable occasion another young person had seen me helping someone during a crisis, came to me later to tell me that I'd make a wonderful counsellor. It was very sweet.

The course genuinely empowered and empowers me daily. It's also had a ripple effect. 100% I would recommend, without reservation.

Professionally, I wish we had more funding to bring this to more young people and then some more to share it through the community. I can't thank you enough.”

So, as we look forward to 2024 we have our fingers crossed for more funding. Raising aspirations in our community through the Compass for Life program will be our new offering - alongside the essential skills for life that our other programs provide. We look forward to getting involved in even more events within the communities that we serve.

Together we are stronger!

2021 - 22

Well what a fabulous year we have had, running free coaching programs for the children and adults of Staffordshire. And, we couldn’t have done it without National Lottery players. Yes, it would be great to win big but look at all of the amazing projects that have been funded by players. We are just one of many projects to receive the Community Fund grants.

What has it enabled us to do? The grant enabled us to run five, 6-week Empowering Women programs and four Kid's Confidence Clubs in the community as well as two programs as School Clubs. Finding out more about anxiety and the way that it affects our health and daily lives, boosts self-esteem, strengthens our resilience and enables us to achieve our goals- whether it be to get a new job, sleep with the light off, learn to swim or pass a driving test!

But more than that, running the sessions from community hubs and venues locally has brought people together, forming new friendships and alliances. This supportive network benefits our groups by tackling social isolation, introducing our participants to other activities that they can get involved in boosts their wellbeing. The community hubs benefit and continue to thrive as more people discover the fabulous work that they do or access services. From a personal point of view, Karen and I have met some amazing people, doing amazing things to strengthen community and support others.

To find out more about the fabulous community venues we are proud to use for our programs, please click here.

What people say about the STILL Method Sessions delivered by ViciSTILL