Trevi launches new Christmas campaign
Trevi is calling for support to help create magical memories for mothers and their children at its rehab centre this Christmas using a short film featuring two polar bears, narrated by 7-year-old ‘ex-child-resident’, Freya.
The film features two polar bears, who represent Freya and her mum.
7-year-old Freya describes that when she was little, her mummy was poorly which meant that she had to live with someone else for a while.
Then, however, luckily, Freya’s mum was able to go to Trevi’s residential rehab centre – now known as Jasmine Mother’s Recovery – where Freya was able to join her.
Freya describes how she remembers it being ‘a really nice, happy place where she had lots of fun’.
Freya explains in the film that at Christmas, kind people sent in lots of presents, Santa came, and they played games, making it lots of fun for all the children.
She tells viewers, she is really pleased that they went there, because now her mummy is happy, they live in a house and have lots of fun together.
She ends by saying, ‘I’ll never forget my Christmas with Trevi…. it’s when I got my mummy back.’
Trevi is a nationally award-winning women’s charity. Trevi began in 1993, known as Trevi House. The charity was born from the desire of four Drug and Alcohol workers in Plymouth to create a unique environment for women and their children experiencing drug and alcohol misuse issues to grow and create positive futures.
Supporting more than 550 women and children per year, Trevi provides safe and nurturing spaces for women and their families to heal, grow and thrive. Trevi’s vision is for a society where all women in recovery can access good quality, psychologically informed, gender-based interventions without apology.
Today, Trevi’s work is delivered across three key centres, Jasmine Mother’s Recovery, Sunflower Women’s Centre and Daffodil Family Centre. The focus of Trevi’s Christmas campaign is the work caried out by Jasmine Mother’s Recovery.
Jasmine Mother’s Recovery
A child is taken into care every 16 minutes, with only 1 in 10 being reunited with their mother. Jasmine’s dedicated and expert team works with each mother to help her break her addiction for good and to be the best mother she can be. And the results speak for themselves: 98% of women who go to Jasmine Mother’s Recovery successfully detox and almost 8 out of 10 children get to stay with their mother.
Jasmine Mother’s Recovery takes referrals from across the UK and can accommodate up to 10 women and their children. Jasmine is a trauma informed service; as well as working with the presenting issues of substance misuse / parenting concerns, the centre aims to address the underlying trauma that many women have experienced. Facilities include eight residential rooms, two family apartments, a therapy lodge, and an Ofsted registered nursery for children to be looked after during therapy times.
In previous years at Christmas time, the kind-hearted people of Plymouth have come together and sent in beautiful presents for the mothers and children. Sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the charity is unable to accept gifts this year but is calling on the public to make a monetary donation instead.
Hannah Shead, CEO of Trevi states: ‘Covid-19 has made it really difficult to accept gifts this year. Over the past few years, the kind people of Plymouth have donated such wonderful presents. It is overwhelming for the women to receive gifts from strangers, sadly, many of them have not experienced such compassion and generosity before. However due to our strict infection control measures, this year we are asking the public to make a monetary donation instead via our website, so that our in house team of Christmas elves can purchase the gifts online, and organise a delicious Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, as well as games galore. It’s really important that despite whatever happens with the pandemic, we create magical memories for our families at Christmas – many of them have such traumatic pasts, Trevi is all about giving those families a chance to be together to gain a fresh start.’
Although for the purpose of the film Freya is the voice of a young actress, the words are those spoken of many grown up children the charity meets today.
Jasmine Casey, a grown-up child ex-resident, now in her twenties, says: ‘I have been lucky enough to spend Christmas with my mum and little brother every year of my life. This would not have been possible without the help and support my mum got from Trevi when I was 4 years old and my brother was just 6 weeks old. We would have almost certainly been taken away if my mum had not been given the opportunity to go to Trevi where she spent a year in recovery and kept our family together. I can’t imagine my life without knowing them and am so glad I never spent a Christmas wondering where my real family was. Instead we were able to make our own traditions and grow up together. My mum is not perfect, but I grew up knowing that she’s always tried her best for us and loves us with her whole heart. She would put so much effort into making Christmas really special and exciting for me and my little brother. Please support Trevi if you can, and support women who are trying to hold their families together.’
Using the hashtag #Freyaandmummybear and #TreviChristmas, Trevi is launching its campaign today.
To support the Trevi Christmas Campaign and to help children and mothers make happy memories this Christmas visit www.trevi.org.uk/christmas-campaign
