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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Family Compass

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Family Compass

A registered mental health charity based in Barnstaple, North Devon

Sponsor our amazing team doing the Croyde Ocean Triathlon here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/family-compass1

19/06/2026

Happy Fundraising Friday...meet the Family Compass Triathlon Teams!

The Ocean Tri, run by Earth Action North Devon, is THE sporting event of the year, bringing together everything we love at Family Compass: beautiful scenery, community spirit, sweat, cow bells and an abundance of smiles & laughter.

We’re feeling super lucky and excited to have not one, but TWO, totally awesome relay teams taking part in the Croyde Ocean Triathlon on our behalf next month, raising vital funds for children and young people.

Team ‘Tri-rannosaurus Rex’ will see Devon lads Stan, Fergus, and Tom take on the challenge, while Team ‘Better Late Than Never’ consists of Sonja, Juliette, and Lucy – a trio of wonder-women looking to make a difference! Their Just Giving pages are below if you’d like to show them some support.

Team Better Late than Never: https://www.justgiving.com/page/juliette-richards-1

Team Tri-rannosaurus Rex: https://www.justgiving.com/page/fergus-stan-tom-do-the-croyde-triathlon

Watch this space for more – in the meantime, let the training commence..!

18/06/2026

Behind the scenes at Family Compass HQ...

Today we wanted to give you a little insight into one of the creative therapies we offer here at Family Compass – Play Therapy

Play therapy can be incredibly helpful for children who are struggling with worries, emotional overwhelm, changes at home or school, anxiety, or behaviours that seem “bigger” than they can manage themselves.

Children communicate through play long before they can fully explain their feelings with words. With Play Therapy, our therapist Emma uses toys, art, storytelling, sand trays, role play, games, movement, and creative activities to help children safely express and process emotions.

Rather than just sitting and talking, they communicate in the language that feels natural and safe - the language of play.

15/06/2026

Emotional regulation is simply our ability to recognise, understand and manage our feelings in a way that helps us cope with everyday life.

It's not about staying calm all the time or never feeling upset, angry, anxious or overwhelmed. We all experience big emotions. Emotional regulation is about what happens next.

When a child feels frustrated, emotional regulation might help them pause before lashing out. When they feel worried, it might help them ask for support rather than keeping everything bottled up.

Children aren't born knowing how to regulate their emotions. They learn through experience and through the adults around them. Every time a parent, carer, teacher or trusted adult helps a child name a feeling, offers comfort, or stays calm when emotions are running high, they are helping build those skills.

Just like learning to ride a bike, emotional regulation takes practice. Some children need a little more support than others, especially if they've experienced stress, trauma or difficult life events.

The good news? Emotional regulation can be learned at any age, and it often starts with feeling safe, understood and connected to others.

What helps you or your child when emotions feel overwhelming?

We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments ⏬

12/06/2026

Today we’re sharing a wonderful quote from a parent of a child we supported a couple of years ago.

It’s always amazing when families get in touch some time after receiving support from us; it serves as a powerful reminder that the work we do often creates long-term, positive and tangible change.

There are lots of ways you can share your impact story with us – leave a comment on this post, write us a review on Facebook or Google, or send an email to [email protected]. We would truly love to hear from you!

11/06/2026

This week in our 'Spotlight on...' series, we have the completely remarkable Robin!

Robin says:

"The best part of my job? Getting to work alongside the most amazing young people and families - and speaking the language of art together.

These days I’m visiting schools across Bristol (usually by bike) rather than being in the lovely Barnstaple office. I love the creativity, flexibility (and challenge!) that comes with working in schools. It’s been a shift, but I feel very lucky to work where I live, with such a brilliant and caring team behind me.

Now just wishing for a better Bristol–Barnstaple train link to make journeys a little easier!"

Here's what the team had to say about Robin...

“They are grounded, warm and have a great sense of fun and adventure. Whether it’s navigating climbing walls or cycling abroad, Robin embraces it all! I hugely value the sense of care they show for each individual that they work with, the diverse lens that they bring, their unique creativity and ability to meet people where they are at”

“Robin has a lovely calm, thoughtful energy. Their presence in a room instantly puts you at ease. Underneath that calm is a warm personality and a playful, witty sense of humour. Although we don't see Robin in North Devon as often as we would like to, I always look forward to catching up with them at team events”

“Robin is kind, sensitive, and genuinely cares about the young people they work with. They build trusting relationships through patience & empathy. Robin brings a calming presence to challenging situations, helping young people feel safe, heard, and valued."

“Robin is an absolute legend. Their calmness and peace shines through, along with their knowledge and creativity. The families they work with leave with hope and light. A true inspiration”

“Robin - always so cool, calm and collected. Although Robin of course remains part of the team, I really miss seeing their lovely face in the office, which particularly brightened up my Mondays! I was always struck by Robin’s natural ability to connect with young people and put them instantly at ease from the moment they walked through the door”

10/06/2026

Sharing a few thoughts on how amazing some people manage to be while doing the most challenging jobs...hats off 👏👏👏

26/05/2026

Next up in our 'Spotlight on...' series, highlighting our fabulous team, is our super special Sian*!

*Sian gets called Sean/Shaun quite a lot. But that's not her name.

Asked what she likes best about working for Family Compass, Sian said:

"The best thing about my job is being surrounded by you lovely people. Despite the past year or two being slightly awful, coming into the office and seeing your bright, smiley faces has felt like the warm hug I haven't realised I needed.

In addition to this, having the honour of being a small part of the journeys of the children and families we work with is also something which makes me feel very proud to work for Family Compass".

The rest of the team think Sian is pretty special too...

“Sian has an incredible sense of humour and never fails to make me smile. She has an inner strength that I truly admire, and she is generally just an absolute legend (as an aside, her organisation skills are mind blowing)”

“Sian has an incredible skill for holding so much knowledge and information in her brain! Her therapeutic practice provides a safe pair of hands for young people and families, offering nurture, compassion and creative energy. Sian is consistently there for others both professionally and personally. Alongside all of this Sian is a genuinely awesome person to be around and is always ready for some fun and laughter! She deserves a cape!”

“Sian is a warm, welcoming, and down to earth presence in the team, and always has time to answer questions or just have a chat about life. And I love hearing about her latest Ninja Crispi adventures!”

“Sian is a superwoman in many ways, she is passionate and dedicated to the families she works with. She has bloomed into the most incredible therapist and is a shining light within Family Compass”

"Sian is an integral part of the team and is always so keen to keep learning so she can be the best for all the young people and families she works with. What I love most about Sian though, is her playful and mischievous character! The team wouldn't be the same without her".

13/05/2026

A huge thank you to our amazing Friends of Family Compass, Khory, Darcy, Jules, Claire and Alistair - led by the wonderful Stu - who gave up their evening last night to help transform the outside of our building 💛

Armed with mowers, rakes and plenty of energy, they tackled mowing, weeding, raking and tidying and the difference is incredible. Old Town Station is looking absolutely fabulous and feeling so much more welcoming for the children, young people and families who visit us every day. We have even been given a lovely hand-made bird box by a super kind member of our community 😊

We are so grateful for people who quietly give their time, kindness and hard work to support what we do. Community really does make all the difference.

Thank you all so much 🌿✨

Address

Old Town Station
Barnstaple
EX311DF

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.familycompass.co.uk/

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