Through our Trauma Fund we are raising vital funds to support children, young people and their families who have experienced trauma. This can be due to abuse and neglect (including witnessing domestic abuse), homelessness, road traffic accidents, house fires and medical issues. All the families we work with are living in poverty and face financial hardship.

Experiencing trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACES) can have significant long term effects on a child’s life-course. Research shows that having adverse childhood experiences can affect the way a child develops and it can have a long-lasting impact on their ability to think, interact with others and on learning. Moreover, those with multiple adverse childhood experiences are more likely to experience and commit violence, go to prison, and develop serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. The research also shows there is a clear link between adverse childhood experiences and a continuing cycles of poverty. We want to tackle these inequalities, break cycles of poverty and ensure that children who experience trauma get the support they need to live healthy, happy and productive lives. Help us to help these children by contributing to our Trauma Fund. Please help us and give what you can.

We use the Trauma Fund resources to provide longer-term, person-centred support to children and whole families. Through this, we aim to empower families through a strengths-based approach to break the intergenerational cycle of trauma. Our therapeutic interventions are bespoke and based on what is most beneficial to the individuals. Our packages of support include the following:

• Therapy (e.g. counselling, arts-based therapy, play therapy)

• Therapeutic support (e.g. family work, casework)

• Access to enrichment opportunities which build self-esteem and resilience (e.g. swimming lessons for children who can’t swim)

• Support to tackle educational inequalities (e.g. help with special educational needs)

• Support with meeting basic needs (e.g. help with sourcing funds to get vital essential resources such as beds or carpets)

This fund is used carefully to reach families who are most in need. To be able to access support through our trauma fund, families must be:

1. looking after a child or children who has experienced trauma/adverse childhood experiences

2. Facing financial distress - Cambridge Acorn Project only works with families who are facing financial hardship. Therefore, we ensure our support targets children, young people and families in Cambridgeshire who are most in need.

3. Engaging in the assessment process so that a clear intervention plan is created for using the funds effectively.