Willow Tree Children's Support

08/06/2026

We have been invited by our wonderful friends and supporters in Whatlington to share our favourite cake recipes for a charity cakebook! This will be for sale at their Village Fete and they will be very kindly donating the profits to Willow Tree! You can email recipes to us at [email protected] and we will pass them on! (In the next couple of days if possible as they have a printing deadline.) We are big fans of cake at Willow Tree so we can't wait to see which ones are your favourites!

01/06/2026

We would like to thank our friend and incredible artist Carne Griffiths Artist for providing an inspiring art session for a peer group of bereaved young people at one of our Secondary Schools. Carne showed such kindness and patience demonstrating his techniques using inks and tea to create abstract forms. Our young people joined in creating their own artwork and a collaborative piece in memory of their friend. Sharing a creative space enabled our young people to relax and explore their thoughts, feelings and memories together, reducing feelings of isolation after such a sad time.

05/05/2026

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone for supporting Willow Tree - from local schools and businesses to community organisations and amazing families and friends. So many of you have been busy fundraising, donating, and finding thoughtful ways to help us continue what we do, and we truly couldn’t be more grateful.

We know that for many, these aren’t the easiest of times, which makes your kindness and generosity mean even more. It never goes unnoticed, and it makes a real difference to the support we’re able to offer.

We feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a caring and compassionate community. Thank you for helping us continue to support those who need us 💛

15/03/2026

19/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who came along to see us on Tuesday for a relaxed morning of creating.

Making time for creative activities is great for our mental and emotional well-being. Whether it’s drawing, collaging, baking a new recipe, gardening, or crafting. Being creative together can help everyone relax and feel connected.
It was lovely to see you all, chat, catch up and share in your fabulous creativity - so many wonderful ideas!
✂️ 🧶 🎨

11/02/2026

HALF TERM FUN!

Get out of the rain and join us in Battle Memorial Hall for some relaxed creative time on Tuesday 17th February!

We will be there 10:30am - 12:30pm so feel free to drop in for half an hour, or stay for the morning! Cut, stick, colour and create or just come and say hi, enjoy a cup of tea and a snack!

We look forward to seeing you!

02/02/2026

Making half-term plans??

Join us in Battle Memorial Hall to cut, stick, chat and get creative with some collaging. It will be a fun and relaxed space to create and catch up, let us know if you would like to come along by messaging here or emailing the address below to confirm your free place.

We look forward to seeing you!

31/12/2025

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been reflecting on the past 12 months and feeling incredibly grateful for the support around us 💛
We truly couldn’t do what we do without our community, and we’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported Willow Tree this year.

We’re really thankful to Asdaand the Co-op for choosing Willow Tree as one of their community recipients. Knowing that local shoppers, stores and supporters have believed in us means so much, and the money received enables us to provide so many wonderful resources and materials for children, young people and their families.

We’d also like to extend our thanks to the local groups, businesses, schools and organisations who chose to fundraise for Willow Tree this year or generously donate Easter eggs and Christmas presents including Battel Bonfire Boyes Battle U3A Ukulele Group Bannatyne Health Club & Spa Hastings St Teresa’s RC Church and St Mary’s RC Church in Northiam and Battle, Catsfield Ukulele Group Gloss Hair Design Out Of The Blue Fundraising, Little Common WI and Southlands Place Your support means a huge amount to us, and we’re truly grateful.

So much of our work is made possible by generosity in all its forms — from arranging your own fundraising events, attending our Winter Market, donating prizes or cakes, buying raffle tickets, signing up to the Rother Community Lottery, crocheting soft sensory items, sharing resources, and giving time, skills and expertise... Every contribution plays an important role and we value them all.

Thanks to all of this support, we’ve been able to continue providing free support sessions in schools, host inclusive events and get-togethers, and offer guidance and support to children, young people, families and schools when they need it most.

Thank you for being part of our community and for supporting the work we do — we really couldn’t do it without you.

Wishing everyone a peaceful New Year 💛

24/12/2025

Sending our warmest wishes to all of our Willow Tree families and friends. However your Christmas may be this year, we hope that you are all surrounded by kindness and love and we will be thinking of you all. ❤️

21/11/2025

Today we are reflecting on Children's Grief Awareness Week. This year the week's theme is "Sharing stories, strengthening hope." Our children and young people have been engaging in their own choice of activities from creating small worlds with characters, sensory play such as slime and clay and making memory boxes to keep treasured items. Some have just wanted to talk. Sharing stories and memories about a special person in our lives that has sadly died can take a huge amount of courage. Our children and young people are always so thoughtful, sensitive and kind when they share these moments with us and can experience a whole range of emotions. Whether having some individual support or in a peer group, the sharing of stories is a huge part of keeping our connections with important people in our lives. What we have heard this week more than anything else, are the memories of time and moments spent together. Through the sadness there are more often than not glimmers of happiness, of laughter, of beautiful memories stored safe in their hearts. There to find on a tricky day. ❤️