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 Welcome to GroOops
Registered Charity No: 1124036 P O Box 53287 London N3 9AD based in North London providing community groupwork and therapeutic support to children, young people and their families going through life transitions.GroOops MISSION STATEMENT:GroOops was founded to promote principles of community, communication, personal development, creative expression and emotional wellbeing. GroOops teaches the value of commitment and the joy of achievement and belonging.GroOops is a place of self discovery and self expression that places equal value on learning with others as on learning from others.
BACKGROUNDGroOops was set up to provide an alternative, fun and interactive service that engages children young people and their families in the development of their emotional wellbeing in an alternative, safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment. GroOops de-stigmatises attitudes towards mental health (there is no health without mental health) and, through a pioneering groupwork and counselling programme incorporating the expressive arts, stimulates and encourages the development of healthy emotional wellbeing and social skills. The young people and families we work with are those who tend not to engage with more conventional forms of support and/or who have disengaged from other services. Over the past four years GroOops has established a solid reputation for creating and delivering therapeutic early intervention, resilience building projects that address the emotional wellbeing of young people and their families in a broad reach of activities, reframing the stigma that surrounds more contemporary mental health support. Our programmes are delivered by a team of qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, arts, education and youth practitioners and we encourage placement and volunteer involvement. Our main approach is to provide an interactive, non purist, therapeutic approach incorporating counselling and the expressive arts to engage and inspire young people at a level they feel comfortable with, challenging the stigma surrounding all aspects of mental health. We believe there is no health without mental health. Within this context we have addressed topics such as (but not limited to) emotional wellbeing, sex and relationships, anger management, bereavement, school behavioural issues, risk of exclusion, confidence and self-esteem building. We have successful, proven experience of providing therapeutic community groupwork support to children, young people and their parent/carers through intensive parent/carer projects and have provided forums for self expression through a number of performance events that allow users to become involved with a production and improve their educational opportunities and learning skills. Our last project involved 21 schools, 13 boroughs, 120 contributors and 150 parent/carers. More recently we have managed a transition project supporting young people in their transition from primary school to secondary school with a focus on those with a pre-disposition toward anger and reactive violence. In addition, we have provided an after school youth emotional wellbeing and expressive arts project in North London. At GroOops, we are primarily dedicated to helping Children, Young People and Their Families through Life Transitions such as: Divorce
Bereavement
Aspects of Loss
Family Break-up
Domestic Violence
Learning Difficulties
School, College and Work Issues
Behaviour and Relationship Challenges
VISION and AIMS GroOops aims to provide innovative groupwork and counselling incorporating the expressive arts (where appropriate) to stimulate and engage in the development of healthy emotional wellbeing. Children, young people and their families, from all social and cultural backgrounds, who are experiencing difficulties with life transitions, are encouraged to work towards healthier ways of behaving, interacting and communicating in a safe, confidential space. This process is carefully facilitated and modelled by multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural counsellors and other professionals. At all times we are looking to support, understand and facilitate the emotional wellbeing of our service users, irrespective of background or life experience, to promote healthy interaction and, by extension, to contribute to a healthy, supportive and communicative society. It is our vision that those who progress through our groups as participants, increasing their personal development and ability to develop emotional wellbeing, are given the support and encouragement in the future to reinvest their positive experiences by returning as our GroOops counsellors, psychotherapists, arts practitioners, facilitators, co-workers and mentors to continue and perpetuate the legacy of emotional wellbeing, social inclusion and mental health in our multi-cultural society.
PROJECTSIn our schools work we practice in half-termly sets over an agreed period with the liaising school.
Our after school activities are weekly throughout the term.
Our Saturday GroOops are at present monthly.
Our Holiday projects for Young People and Family projects are by arrangement with our funding providers and other organisational partners.
Our 1:1 weekly counselling for Children, Young People and their Families who have taken part in our groups is by arrangement.
Our outreach projects are facilitated by counsellors, psychotherapists and expressive arts professionals experienced in our GroOops innovative, Multi-disciplinary, Psycho-educational Groupwork and counselling programmes. (Click here to see our Training and CPD Section).
CONTENT AND STAFFING Our staffing ratios are high due to the nature of the work we do. Up to three members of our staff are required for week-end work (3:8) and a minimum of two to four for our schools and other organisation's work. Each of our staff will contribute a different discipline and all GroOops are led by qualified counsellors and arts practitioners who have enhanced criminal records bureau checks. We also provide 1:1 counselling where necessary and where thought appropriate. Within our groupwork structure, we work in a bespoke fashion, following the needs of the participants and the issues that are raised. We use an integrative approach dependent on the requirements of the group. The content of the GroOops groups can encourage an 'end product' linked to the arts with examples such as a photographic or written journal, poetry, art, dance, music and forum theatre to name a few - all of which can be incorporated into our celebratory KIDZ TAKE KONTROL production. Please see EVENTSThe bespoke end product can provide a tangible end goal, pride in work, focus and closure. It can allow the participant to find some sense of purpose and meaning as well as fulfilment and community as they develop their emotional wellbeing. The space within the GroOops groups aims to encourage and support healthy psychological growth. Using these approaches together in this innovative way challenges embedded behaviour patterns and encourages new and healthier mechanisms of functioning, both personally and socially, as has been indicated in feedback from our participants and organisations. Please see our GroOops GROUPS page and our YOUNG PEOPLE page. In encouraging creative emotional wellbeing and resilience building strategies, we aim to fill a void in mental health resources for those children, young people and their families, who are in need of early intervention, to avoid more embedded mental health issues but who may be reluctant and/or unable to engage with statutory health services.
REFERRALSWe receive referrals from individuals, professional and voluntary and statutory agencies. If you have any queries or questions please do call our office to talk things through.
FUNDINGThank you to our funders and supporters who include: Youth Opportunity Fund
Exchange Grant
Extended Services
Milly Apthorp
Teenage Pregnancy Strategy
Milly Apthorp Continuation Fund
Positive Activities
NHS Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
Business in the Community
Awards for All
 If you are a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist interested in our work, please see our VACANCIES page CLICK HEREOur GroOops bases are in close proximity but not exclusive to the following areas: Arnos Grove, Barnet, High Barnet, Finchley, North Finchley, Finchley Central, East Finchley, Southgate, Muswell Hill, Mill Hill, Totteridge, Friern Barnet, Golders Green, Temple Fortune, Finchley, Edgware, Whetstone, Hendon, Bounds Green, Wood Green, Hampstead, Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Camden, Cockfosters, Stanmore, Burnt Oak, Cricklewood, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green and across Greater London by arrangement.
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