Impact Arts

We are thrilled to officially launch our new Art Therapy service for children and young people in North Ayrshire!

An expansion of our award-winning therapy work in Glasgow, we are delighted to finally bring this work to areas of need in North Ayrshire.

The service is funded for the next three years to offer free support to children and families in the area who are experiencing:

• challenging circumstances at home or in school
• low confidence or self-esteem
• loss or change
• or other social or emotional difficulties.

The project is an extension of
Impact Arts’ award-winning therapy service which has run in Glasgow for the
past five years.

Art therapy offers a safe relaxed space for children to express themselves through creativity and play.

Our new therapy space in
Irvine was officially opened by Provost Ian Clarkson at an event this afternoon.

A host of partnership agencies
and representatives were also in attendance, as the new art therapy team
explained the different models available and how to refer.

As well as one-to-one sessions between an art therapist and children aged 5-12, there will be sessions offered including the child and their parent or carer.

Partnerships with schools will also offer therapeutic art groups open to those aged 5-15.

Jenny Coxon, Impact Arts’ Programme Manager for Ayshire, said: “It’s great to be bringing such a vital and effective project to North Ayrshire.

“Today was a superb opportunity to bring together the local agencies who will be fundamental to linking us in with children and young people who could benefit most.

“Impact Arts have been based in North Ayrshire for a long time and today was also useful in allowing us to highlight the many projects for children and young people we are offering throughout this summer and beyond.”

As well as Art Therapy, we are running weekly CashBack Nights workshops for 12-19 year olds, building up to our full-time summer CashBack to the Future project this July.

We will also be working with care-experienced young people as part of our Express Yourself and Make it Your Own projects, which are launching in the coming weeks.

If you would like to make a referral to Art Therapy in North Ayrshire, or would just like to learn more about the project, please contact our Art Therapist Danielle Devin on 01294 273 051 or email [email protected].

The project is funded by the Bank of Scotland Foundation, Foundation Scotland, the Volant Trust, the Robertson Trust, the Scottish Children’s Lottery and the Rayne Foundation.