Northorpe Hall Child & Family Trust

01/11/2026

Hello, November! 🍂

We've got lots happening at Northorpe this month, and there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Keep reading to find out more, and get in touch if you need any more details!

💬 Chill + Chat

Our support group for parents and carers of neurodivergent children and young people. Join us on Thursday 19th November to explore the Escalation Curve, share experiences and connect with people who understand.

www.northorpe.com/chillandchat

🎁 Holiday Hamper Appeal

We're collecting donations to help young people leaving care in Kirklees feel remembered and cared for this Christmas. Every contribution helps us put together our wellbeing and festive treat boxes.

https://www.northorpe.com/post/holiday-hamper-appeal-help-make-christmas-special-for-care-leavers

🎄 Festive Fayre

Join us at the Northorpe Barn on Saturday 28th November for a festive day of stalls, games and a visit from Santa!

It's free to attend, and every bit of support helps us continue our work with children, young people and families.

Whether you come along to an event, donate to our appeal or share what we're doing with someone who might be interested, we'd love you to be part of it.

Here's to a busy November! 💙

30/10/2026

This week, we’ve been sharing stories to celebrate National Mentoring Day and show the difference having someone in your corner can make.

The theme for the event this year is One Person, One Hour... it's all about giving your time to someone who could benefit from your experience, support and encouragement.

At Northorpe, we’re lucky to have a wonderful team of people who give their time, care and energy to support young people.

We’re especially grateful to our volunteers, who give their time to help young people build confidence, work through challenges and move forward.

We couldn’t be more thankful for the time and commitment they give.

To all our mentors, volunteers and wider team, thank you for the part you play in transforming young lives. 💙

29/10/2026

Chill + Chat: Support group for parents of neurodivergent young people 💙

Do you ever feel like situations with your child can go from zero to 100 in a split second?

When a neurodivergent child or young person is becoming overwhelmed, it can be really hard for them to tell us what's happening or what they need from us.

That's where understanding the Escalation Curve can help, and it's exactly what we'll be talking about at our next Chill + Chat session.

We'll be exploring how emotions and behaviour can change as a young person becomes dysregulated, and how to recognise the early signs.

Chill + Chat is a relaxed space for parents and carers of neurodivergent children and young people to explore topics like this, share experiences, ask questions and connect with others who understand.

There's no pressure to talk or share your own experiences. Come along, grab a cuppa and join in as much or as little as feels right for you.

📅 Thursday 19th November, 6pm–8pm
📍 Northorpe Hall, Mirfield, WF14 0QL
💷 £5 contribution

Find out more and book your place at www.northorpe.com/chillandchat

28/10/2026

For National Mentoring Day, we’re sharing stories from young people who have experienced the difference mentoring can make. 💙

This time, we’re sharing Elizabeth’s story, in her own words.

“Before I started working with a mentor, things were really tough because I couldn’t get myself into school, but I feel like the more I came here and started seeing someone, the better things got.

When I went to my performing arts school and to Cadets, I wasn’t very confident. But as I worked with my mentor, I started to understand how to manage those feelings better.

Now I can go into school and handle things better. Being able to speak to someone helped me get everything off my chest.

My family have noticed it too. They can see that I’m excited to go out and meet people, they can see that I’m more confident, and I think my parents are quite proud of me.

I’m proud of myself too!

If I saw another young person struggling, I would say: ‘Don’t bottle it all up inside. Go and tell someone you trust and talk about how you’re feeling.’

Having a mentor at Northorpe Hall has helped me become a better person, and I see myself very differently to how I did before.”

Thank you to Elizabeth for sharing her story.

It’s a lovely reminder that mentoring isn’t about making every difficulty disappear.

It’s about helping young people build the confidence to face those difficulties and recognise just how far they’ve come.

Because they all deserve a chance to thrive.

27/10/2026

Mentoring is a big part of what we do at Northorpe, and for good reason. Having someone in your corner can make such a difference when life feels difficult.

And there's probably no better example of that than the marvellous Mary, who has shared her story this year to help other young people like her.

When Mary first started working with Northorpe, even leaving the house could feel overwhelming.

Severe anxiety had made everyday situations difficult, and she felt she was missing out on the teenage experiences she wanted to have.

With support from her mentor, Lydia, she's gradually taken on things that once felt out of reach.

Cafés, trips into town, bus stations, college open evenings and her school prom have all been part of her journey.

She's started a part-time job, helped us write a blog for other young people taking their GCSEs and shared her experiences on BBC Look North.

Now, with her exams behind her, she's embarked on her first year of college - starting an exciting new chapter!

Mary's journey shows how much can change when a young person has the right support, someone in their corner and the time to move forward at their own pace.

Hers is the perfect story to share on National Mentoring Day, because she's an absolute star, and we can't wait to see what comes next for her. 💙

26/10/2026

Tomorrow is National Mentoring Day, so this week we're sharing stories from our incredible mentoring programme at Northorpe.

In its first year, our programme supported 87 young people and families through staff mentoring, volunteer mentoring and family support.

Alongside this, we trained 164 peer mentors in schools and other settings, with the potential to reach at least 328 young people. 💙

But the impact goes way beyond these numbers...

Young people have grown in confidence, developed new skills, overcome personal challenges and taken steps towards education, training and employment.

Importantly, they've also built trusting relationships with supportive adults who believe in them.

For young people facing obstacles in their lives, particularly around their mental and emotional wellbeing, having someone in their corner can make a real difference.

The progress they make can help them long after their time with us has ended and we are so proud to see them take those first steps into independence.

We'll be sharing some of these stories throughout the week, so make sure you're following to find out more!

26/10/2026

Huge thank you to Kirklees Local TV for sharing our appeal.

So grateful to everyone who's helping spread the word!

Reading Time: 2 minutes By KLTV Newsdesk – One box will hold everyday essentials and little comforts, the other festive treats, and donations are being accepted until Wednesday 18 November. Northorpe Hall Child + Family Trust is calling on the local community to help make Christmas more special fo...

25/10/2026

Thinking about applying to join the Northorpe team?

This is your reminder that applications for our two paid trainee practitioner roles close next Tuesday, 3rd November.

We’re recruiting for:

• Trainee Systemic Family Practitioner
• Trainee Specialist Practitioner – Learning Disability and Autism

Both are full-time Band 5 trainee positions, moving to Band 6 on successful completion, with the opportunity to develop your practice while working with neurodivergent children, young people and families.

If you’ve been thinking about applying, now’s the time to get your application in.

Find the full details and apply on our website: https://www.northorpe.com/post/we-re-recruiting-two-paid-trainee-roles-at-northorpe

25/10/2026

We're looking forward to you joining our Fayre again this year.

Saturday 28th November - see you there!

23/10/2026

A Christmas hamper might be a box of gifts and treats, but it's also a way of showing someone that their community is thinking of them. 💙

🎁Every year, our Christmas Hamper Appeal brings people together to create special boxes for young people leaving care.

🎄Alongside our Festive Fayre, it's one of the ways we share a little extra kindness at Christmas.

And this year, there's a new way to be part of it...

We've created an Amazon Wishlist so you can donate items for our hampers and Festive Fayre tombolas online, without needing to make a trip to Northorpe during the busy run-up to Christmas.

🛒 Explore the wishlists here:

- https://amzn.eu/0iSl0GCD
- https://amzn.eu/002rSr9D

You can also drop donations off at Northorpe Hall in person.

Whether you choose an item online, bring something along or help us prepare the hampers, every contribution helps us make a difference this Christmas and all year round.

Thank you for being part of our community. 💙