WELCOME TO BRAVE

Brave Parents is a registered charity created to provide self care opportunities to parents who have children with complex medical needs*.

*’Complex medical needs’ refers to children who have been diagnosed by a medical professional, with an illness, disability or sensory impairment (sight and/or hearing impairment) that requires substantial daily support from a Parent Carer.

Brave Parents – Registered Charity No. 1204544

Brave was created as a not for profit organisation in 2020 when Claire (founder) was struggling with her own mental health. Having received a third diagnosis for her already medically complex child, she suddenly realised the toll being a Parent Carer had (and still has), on her mental health and how important self care is through hard times. A huge part of keeping her daughter well, was to look after herself too.

Brave Parents became a registered charity in 2023.

HERE FOR YOU We believe self care is essential for parents who have children with complex medical needs.

Mental Health

We realise that many Parent Carers forget to care for themselves in the hard times, working so hard to keep their child well that their own needs come second.
One of the best things you can do for them is focus on your own mental health.

Brave Events

We regularly hold in person events for Parent Carers including retreats, mindfulness classes and local meets. These will be announced via our newsletter and on our social media platforms.

'...For You' Brave Boxes

Our free ‘… for you’ Brave boxes provide Parent Carers with some well needed ‘you’ time. They can be nominated to receive one by friends and family. Nominations will be announced via our newsletter and on social media.

Hospital Brave Boxes

Our ‘Hospital Brave Boxes’ include both essentials and treats for Parent Carers who are currently staying in hospital for a longer period of time.

These boxes will be sent directly to a hospital ward for the parent to open. To explain more about our Hospital Brave Boxes, please take a look at our FAQs

NOMINATION FORM For hospital stays that are less that 5 days, we would recommend waiting for our nominations to open for our free '...for you' Brave Boxes. Please be sure to read our FAQs for the Hospital Brave Boxes prior to nominating.

OUR DONATIONS We regularly make donations to different organisations.

Rays of Sunshine Inside and Out: The Confidence Event for Teens

On Sunday 22nd October, we were invited by Rays of Sunshine to attend ‘Inside and Out: The Confidence Event for Teens’ at the OXO Tower in London. This event for 12-18 year old teens with complex medical needs provided a jam-packed day of expert advice and demos, as well as workshops and fun activities to help build confidence.

We attended the event to provide ‘Brave Big Night In’ Bags to the 100 Parent Carers who were attending with their children. Each bag contained items designed for two people to have a night in together. This included hot drinks, sweet treats, popcorn and a quiz to play. We hope that by sharing Brave Bags and talking to people on the day, we spread the importance of self care to Parent Carers.

Little Haven’s Hospice

In August 2023, we revisited Little Haven’s Hospice with Brave Bags to gift to the Parent Carers who use their facilities.

Little Havens Hospice care for children and young people up to the age of 25 from Essex and the surrounding boroughs who have been diagnosed with a complex or incurable condition. They offer overnight respite breaks, emergency stays and support the care at the end of a child’s life. There are also ‘Day Stay’ sessions and the opportunity to attend specific groups and activities relevant to parents and their child’s needs.

We donated 60 bags at the end of February and received a wonderful email last month saying,

‘Just wanted to let you know the bags have gone down so well, we get so many compliments from parents!’

Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to fill and donate another 60 more bags full of self care items. We hope all the Parent Carers using the facilities are able to have some all important ‘you’ time whilst their children are having fun and in the best care.

Camp Jojo

At the beginning of summer, we visited Camp Jojo to provide Brave Bags for every Parent Carer attending their camps over the summer.

Camp Jojo support families of children with complex needs and disabilities to enjoy a totally accessible camping holiday and make new friends who understand their situation. They provide all the physical, emotional and practical support needed to make camping not just an experience but a relaxing break for the whole family.

We were given a tour around the site and were amazed at how much attention to detail had gone into planning the camps. From hoists in the tents to sensory rooms in the barn, Camp Jojo’s organisers and friendly volunteers have created the perfect camping experience for complex needs families.

We donated 67 Brave Bags which included an afternoon tea and some mindfulness activities for the parents to enjoy in their free time when the children are undertaking activities with the camp instructors.

Healing Waves

We donated 20 ‘Brave Big Night In’ boxes for Parent Carers using the Healing Waves facilities.

Healing Waves is a not for profit organisation who offer surf, paddle and flow rider based Ocean Therapy, to those living with conditions and/or disabilities.

We hope the Parent Carers using these facilities will enjoy their evening in with a loved one.

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