Lottery grant will fund pre-school learning tool

Hope Centre Finance Manager Adele Winning explained: “The Oh Lila project is a pre-school learning tool which tells the story of a young hare who keeps getting into bother and is encouraged to share her problems with a wise old hare. Rory is a dog who cannot understand why his owners neglect him.

“The project encourages children to speak to someone they trust rather than bottle things up. This can happen if they have become isolated because they are living with a parent with alcohol or substance addiction.

“In the Rory project, Rory the dog experiences the same problems as the child of a parent with an addiction. The dog cannot understand why his owner is acting in this way, the same as a child cannot understand,” said Adele.

She added: “Children living in an unsettled home can become introvert and isolated. We are aiming to reach them early and encourage them to ask for help. Children can hide things for a long time. This project aims to speak to them at their level and show them they don’t have to hide their problems.”

“The programme has been very well received so far and the Hope Centre will be continuing to seek funding to support its delivery. If you’d be interested in having the Oh Lila! or Rory stories delivered at your group, please email [email protected] or call 028 2563 2726.”