This organisation is committed to providing services based upon rigorous evidence and practice-based research.  Relevant reports, papers, articles and news will be posted here.

*JULY 2010*                                                                                                                                                 This month saw Debi Maskell-Graham appointed as editor of Play for Life, Play Therapy International's practitioner journal. Excited by this new role, Debi is looking forward to strenthening the journal as a key publication for those involved in creative arts therapies and play therapy.

*MAY 2010*                                                                                                                                                This month saw the Play Therapy World Congress 2010 take place in the exciting surroundings of Marrakech, Morroco.  Keynote addresses by Mike Shooter, Richard Bowlby, Sue Gerhardt and Frasier Brown were extremely illuminating and inspiring.  A series of seminars and workshops followed and big toes little toes were very pleased to present a Baby Bonding workshop looking at the use of lullabies and authentic movement to nurture parental sensitivity and support and strengthen the growth of infant secure attachment.

*MARCH 2010*                                                                                                                                          Once again, Nottinghamshire County Council asked big toes little toes to provide confidence-boosting drama workshops for their Young Dragons event.  Teams of young people aged 14-15 enjoyed a day filled with participatory workshops and to present their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of local business "dragons".

*NOVEMBER 2009*                                                                                                                                        A new play therapist support group for the Nottingham and East Midlands area is now underway.  Please do get in touch if you would like details.  We currently meet monthly on a  Wednesday from 6.30 to 8pm at Nottingham Playhouse Cast Cafe.  So lovely to meet with other like-minded souls and share ideas and experiences.

*OCTOBER 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                            An exciting new study begins this month into the role of infant-directed lullaby singing on maternal sensitivity and caregiving behaviours.  The study will examine whether maternal behaviour can be changed using a creative intervention and how, why and when best this might work.  Groups with mother-baby pairs are planned for later in the study which will take 3-5 years to complete.

*SEPTEMBER 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                    Nottingham University once again invited us to provide workshops for new students under the Kickstart programme.  As usual, these events proved highly enjoyable and it was lovely to meet so many new students inspired to choose a new journey at university  from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences.

*AUGUST 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                                                                                                          The second parcel is now on its way to the babies of the Baby Pack Project in South Africa bursting with babygros, vests, hats, socks and cotton washable nappies.  THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your generous donations.

*JULY 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                                          Thank you to all the participants in the first-ever baby bonding training workshops held at the Play Therapy UK Summer Seminars in Peterborough.  The response was very encouraging indeed.  Please download the summary research paper below and let me know if you would like to be a part of a new research network/hub as below.  Please note that this paper is for study purposes only.

NEW RESEARCH HUB - big toes little toes is keen to develop, share, and disseminate research that informs practice and policy surrounding mental health and emotional well-being interventions.  Please register your interest by email and include any specific areas of interest.

* MAY 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                                          big toes little toes is very proud to be confirmed this month as a workshop presenter at Play Therapy International's 2010 World Congress for Play Therapy and Creative Arts Therapies in Marrakesh, Morocco.  This workshop is designed for those with a remit and interest in providing emotional and mental well-being support to families with very young infants.  This is a fantastic opportunity to share research-based practice and to learn from pioneering practitioners from all over the world.

Donations continue coming in from very generous people all over the Vale of Belvoir and beyond with baby clothes, lovely knitted hats, cardigans and socks.  A very big THANK YOU!  This is in response to my appeal to support  The Baby Pack Project in South Africa as they continue to give a pack of baby basics to new mothers and babies leaving the nearby maternity clinics where there is so much hardship and poverty facing local families.  A consignment of donations leaves Bottesford every month, so please let me know if you have donations to support this vital work.  Babies helping babies!!  For more information, please see www.bigtoeslittletoes.com

* APRIL 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                                       The "Here come the Girls!" workshops were once again delivered with four groups of lovely teenagers at schools across Derbyshire.  This creative and innovative approach to working with girls has become very popular over the last few years.  Schools are seeking new techniques and approaches to supporting students with the emotional, motivational and psychological demands of exam periods.

big toes little toes launches its support for The Baby Pack Project in South Africa.  Babies helping babies!  This project provides a pack of baby basics to new mothers in Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa.  These baby packs are provided by unpaid volunteers who rely solely on donations from supporters.  The project began in 2005 when a local woman noticed that newborn babies were being taken home wrapped in newspapers because the mothers had nothing else to wrap them in.  We will be collecting babygros, cardigans, blankets, towels, baby hats/socks, small newborn toys, and cloth washable nappies and pins, to send to the project.  We will also be making fun baby and children hats to sell locally to generate funds for postage and packing.  Please help us if you can by phoning Debi on 07967 549487.  Donations are gratefully received plus offers of sewing a baby hat or two.  Please click here for link to blog to keep you fully up-to-date.

* MARCH 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                                    Nottinghamshire County Council invited us to provide positive and creative thinking drama workshops for Year 9 students involved in the Dragon's Den Enterprise Event.  With a theme of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, young people unleashed their imaginative ideas in the company of some of the region's best-known entrepreneurs.  The event was opened by Sam Hynd, swimming world record holder and Gold Medal Olympic winner in Beijing 2008.

* FEBRUARY 2009 NEWS*
On 5 February 2009, The Children’s Society published the report “The Good Childhood Inquiry: searching for values in a competitive age” which highlighted the scale of mental health difficulties of children in the UK.  Whilst one in ten 5 to 16 year olds has clinically significant mental health difficulties, only 25% of these children currently receive specialist help.

The failure to tackle the early signs of behavioural, emotional and conduct disorders in children has very serious consequences including increasing offending, drug use and violence. 40% of children with conduct disorders aged 8 years old will go on to have repeat convictions and 90% of convicted adolescent offenders showed conduct disorders.

“The Good Childhood Inquiry: what children told us” released as part of the main report gives a child’s perspective on what it means to have a good childhood. 8,000 14-16 year olds participated in a national survey; 5,337 “my life” postcards were submitted by 5-17 year olds; 3,642 online questions were answered by 5-17 year olds; 742 written responses were made to the inquiry’s call for evidence from 5-17 year olds; and 407 attendances at focus groups ranging from 3-21 years.

Relationships were at the heart of the evidence provided by children themselves. Children identified the need for a loving, caring, supportive, kind and understanding family. The family was the most talked about theme in the evidence collected with mutual respect, togetherness and good communication being key factors. Many children revealed deep seated fears around being rejected, abandoned or unwanted.

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Debi Maskell-Graham has been invited to speak at Play Therapy UK's Summer Seminars on early attachment and the use of multi-cultural lullabies and authentic movement on parental attachment behaviours.                        

*JANUARY 2009 NEWS*                                                                                                                               A recent university study has been carried out to evaluate the effect of the "baby bonding" intervention on maternal behaviours associated with secure attachments with a small sample of mother-infant pairs.  Early results are extremely encouraging and show significant improvements.  Further studies are anticipated with other population groups, particularly those families who benefit from support in those early post-partum weeks.