Clear Sky Children's Charity

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Clear Sky Children's Charity My mother passed away in 2002 leaving behind 4 children. More than 10 years on and our family are still shaken from this loss.

Promoting emotional wellbeing for children and young people through one to one Play & Creative Arts Therapy, professional training and parent workshops.
Clear Sky Children's Charity was founded in 2010 by Sophia Giblin:

“The idea for Clear Sky came about in 2010 following a difficult personal experience in my own childhood. Being the eldest I had to take on the mother’s role which came with many challenges, and being a teenage girl growing up without a mum wasn’t easy. My little sister was only 9 at the time and, being so young, she found it difficult to come to terms with what had happened. As a result, she suffered with major anxiety from the age of 10 and struggled to enjoy the things that all children should be free to enjoy. I often wondered what our lives would have been like if we’d had someone who could help us explore the confusing feelings attached to our situation when we were still making sense of it all. There are too many children out there suffering at the hands of circumstances beyond their control. The aim is to provide support to children to help them feel happier in themselves, to have a greater understanding of the world around them, to help them understand that they are special and that there are people out there who can help.”

Sophia Giblin – CEO (Chief of Enthusiasm & Optimism)
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Hello there everyone,Rolo here, with my regular woof in!This week I’m starting to get that Halloween feeling and am look...
16/10/2026

Hello there everyone,
Rolo here, with my regular woof in!

This week I’m starting to get that Halloween feeling and am looking forward to help choose some costumes! I work with Heidi in Animal Assisted Play Therapy® which is a lot of fun!

Heidi always makes sure that I am happy in sessions. She knows that I don’t like things on my head so I’m never asked to wear hats. But I’m happy to wear a doggy coat, including for Halloween! 🧙‍♀️

Children also learn about some of the foods which can be dangerous to us dogs, especially the Halloween sweets! Children learn about the responsibilities that go with having a dog. There’s always so much to learn. Heidi also gets children to think independently, for example about the kinds of collars, harnesses and leads we dogs wear, and how children can learn to read a dog’s body language and understand whether a dog is comfortable. I think children end up being more empathic, not just to us dogs but to each other as well.

This is also the time when I’m thinking about Bonfire Night.
Some of my dog friends get really bothered about that because the fireworks scare them. Luckily for me I don’t get too affected. Heidi and I often work with children who are overwhelmed by noise- and it doesn’t have to be Bonfire Night noise, it can be any kind of noise! We can work with them to reduce their stress and increase their tolerance level to some of the noise- for example through calm breathing techniques. We go through them together, in a way that is regulating and that brings comfort.

Heidi and I are here to give children and young people a space to explore whatever is on their mind. We usually work with one child at a time but can also work in small groups, usually in schools.

If you'd like to work with Heidi and me, get in touch at: [email protected] for more information.

Woof woof! 🐾

How does domestic abuse affect relationships? 💜💔 Breaks trust – creates fear, insecurity and poor communication.🧠 Affect...
12/10/2026

How does domestic abuse affect relationships? 💜

💔 Breaks trust – creates fear, insecurity and poor communication.
🧠 Affects mental health – can cause anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
🔒 Creates control – takes away independence, freedom and equality.
💔 Damages intimacy – makes it difficult to feel safe, loved and connected.
🫂 Causes isolation – can separate people from friends, family and support.
👨‍👩‍👧 Impacts families – can affect children's emotional wellbeing and sense of safety.
🌱 Leaves lasting effects – can make it harder to trust others and build healthy relationships in the future.

Remember: Everyone deserves a relationship built on love, respect, trust and safety. Domestic abuse is never the victim's fault. 💜

What might ADHD look like? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may look like someone who has persistent inat...
06/10/2026

What might ADHD look like?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may look like someone who has persistent inattention, hyperactivity or who displays impulsive behaviour.

An ADHD child may be: forgetful, easily distracted, avoidant or disorganised. Often, a child with ADHD may have excess energy, may interrupt often or be restless.

Most young children however, have natural boundless energy and certainly not all will have ADHD.

Clear Sky helps many neurodivergent and neurotypical children every year to overcome difficulties using the .

To find out how we can support you, contact us at: [email protected]

Is it too soon to mention that Christmas is in just over 11 weeks? 🥴We are so pleased that many of you have joined EasyF...
05/10/2026

Is it too soon to mention that Christmas is in just over 11 weeks? 🥴

We are so pleased that many of you have joined EasyFundraising and will be supporting Clear Sky when you shop online - for FREE!

If you haven't yet, please do consider doing so. You get a reminder before you make an online purchase and it's a great way to send a few pennies to a good cause!

Our campaign link is here: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/clear-sky-childrens-charity

Rolo's Blog 28 September 2026Hello there everyone,Rolo here, just woofing in! Most people seem to know me now but for th...
28/09/2026

Rolo's Blog 28 September 2026

Hello there everyone,

Rolo here, just woofing in! Most people seem to know me now but for those who don’t, I work with Heidi in Animal Assisted Play Therapy®. We go into schools to support some of their vulnerable children and young people.

Today I’m going to shine a spotlight on anxiety. So how can Heidi and I work with anxiety? First of all, we meet the child or young person where they’re at. In Animal Assisted Play Therapy® no one has to participate unless they want to. When people are anxious they might not want to make eye contact, which is fine because we dogs can handle that.

Many children and young people instead enjoy stroking or even grooming my poodle coat. Research shows that stroking an animal releases oxytocin, which is a feel good chemical! It’s been shown that even just looking at an animal can have a similar effect, so this probably explains why children and young people who suffer with anxiety seem to enjoy having me in the room!

Sometimes I’ll do something silly which can really help break the ice. I also love a bit of training! Heidi and I find that anxious children often get into that surprisingly quickly. Maybe it’s because I don’t get it all right, so they get to show me how to do something properly. Heidi makes sure that I don’t get stressed because, like children and young people, I have to be comfortable with a task. So it can’t go on for too long! The children and young people always end up less anxious and gain all sorts of skills, as well as self-confidence, from training me. And I have fun, too, so it’s a win-win! Sometimes we even do presentations to others in school!

I'll be sharing more with you in the next blog, but if you'd like to work with Heidi and me, get in touch at: [email protected] for more information. Woof woof!

23/09/2026

What do teachers say about Clear Sky's Play and Creative Arts Therapy interventions?

We work right across Oxfordshire, providing Play, Art, Dance, Drama, Music and Animal Assisted Therapy to children with emotional, behavioural or environmental issues. Many of those children have experienced a significant trauma, whilst others may be struggling with relationships or maintaining friendships.

In EVERY school that we work in, we provide FREE comprehensive WHOLE SCHOOL mental health awareness training and classroom resources to support the entire school community. Our aim is to support positive outcomes and good mental health for ALL children.

To find out more, contact us at: [email protected] or visit us at: https://clear-sky.org.uk/play_and_creative-arts_therapy/

We are often asked what the key outcomes are from Play and Creative Arts Therapy (PCAT) for the children that we see. PC...
21/09/2026

We are often asked what the key outcomes are from Play and Creative Arts Therapy (PCAT) for the children that we see.

PCAT uses the child’s natural language of play. Our specially trained therapists support children using play, drama, dance, music, art, and sand during weekly, in-school sessions.

We are also excited to deliver Animal Assisted Play Therapy now too to our schools in Oxfordshire! 🐩

To find out how PCAT can support Emotional, Environmental and Behavioural challenges, get in touch with us at: [email protected]

-led -appropriate

Hello there everyone,Rolo here, with my regular woof in! I work with Heidi in Animal Assisted Play Therapy®. We go into ...
21/09/2026

Hello there everyone,

Rolo here, with my regular woof in! I work with Heidi in Animal Assisted Play Therapy®. We go into schools to support some of their vulnerable children and young people- it could be anything from anxiety about peers to difficulties concentrating in school to worries in the home, or perhaps just feeling misunderstood. We're here to give children and young people a space to explore whatever is on their mind- and we do it playfully, so there's no pressure!

I thought I’d share a bit about what a session can look like. We usually come in the early afternoon, because mornings are for my walks and a bit of a snooze afterwards! By early afternoon I’m ready for work.

Heidi and I tend to meet with one child at a time though we can also work with a small group of children. I’m quite nosy so will have a good sniff around first but Heidi will keep me on my lead until the child is comfortable around me- that usually happens very quickly! We’ll often start with a scenting activity, followed by the 3 spots exercise! The 3 spots is where the child gets to stroke me, with Heidi’s help, and they can find out whether it’s my back or ears I like having stroked the most! I’m extremely gentle.

Then we’ll usually get into an activity. Here I am playing ‘pack the suitcase’ with some children; they showed kindness towards me because they let me choose what I wanted to take away with me- I chose my fluffy football! ⚽️

All of this is thirsty work, so the child gets to fill up my water bowl in session, too! 🍵

I'll be sharing more with you in the next blog, but if you'd like to work with Heidi and me, get in touch at: [email protected] for more information. Woof woof! 🐾

We are very grateful to Didcot Town Council who have generously agreed to subsidise the cost of Play and Creative Arts T...
21/09/2026

We are very grateful to Didcot Town Council who have generously agreed to subsidise the cost of Play and Creative Arts Therapy for a further 7 children in Didcot.
If you are a Primary school in Didcot and we can support the emotional, behavioural or wellbeing of your pupils and school staff, please get in touch to see how we can help!

A HUGE thank you to Tesco customers who have once again kindly popped their blue tokens in the in-store boxes for us thi...
16/09/2026

A HUGE thank you to Tesco customers who have once again kindly popped their blue tokens in the in-store boxes for us this year. We are thrilled to have had the most votes and have been awarded £1479!

Thank you for helping us to help more children Heal Through Play this year and congratulations to the other winners Cholsey Pre-School and Didcot Casual U12 Blues!

Address

The Manor House

OX144RA

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:30
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:30
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:30
Thursday 09:00 - 17:30
Friday 09:00 - 17:30

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