Finding Hope Through Healing: How Move the Mind is Changing One Family's Story

When children experience trauma, the effects are rarely left behind.

Long after difficult experiences have passed, they can continue to shape how a child feels, behaves and relates to the world around them. Trust can become difficult. Anxiety can become overwhelming. Everyday situations can feel unpredictable and unsafe.

For carers, watching children they love carry those invisible burdens can be heartbreaking.

At the Alfie Nick Foundation, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to heal, and every family deserves access to the right support at the right time.

That's why we're proud to fund therapeutic support through Move the Mind, helping children who have experienced trauma build confidence, strengthen relationships and rediscover the joy of simply being children.

A Place Where Children Feel Safe

For sisters Marina and Monica, weekly sessions at Move the Mind have become far more than an activity. They have become a place of safety.

Having experienced trauma and attachment difficulties, the girls have found something incredibly valuable through their time with the horses and their therapist - a calm, nurturing environment where they are accepted exactly as they are. Week after week, those consistent relationships have allowed trust to grow.

There is no pressure, no expectation to explain how they are feeling. Instead, through caring for the horses, spending time outdoors and engaging in purposeful activities, the girls have gradually developed greater confidence, emotional security and belief in themselves.

Fun at Move the Mind

Monica and Marina say:

“I like the animals and I love the horses, and working with Sue and Deliah.”

“I love the farm days and being with each other as sisters.”  ❤️

Small Moments That Lead to Big Changes

The impact has been both profound and lasting.

The calm, sensory interactions with the horses help Marina and Monica regulate their emotions more effectively, reducing anxiety and helping them feel calmer during everyday life. The responsibility of caring for and leading the horses has given them a genuine sense of achievement, strengthening their confidence and reminding them what they are capable of.

Perhaps most importantly, they have developed trusting relationships with their instructors and the wider Move the Mind team. For children who have experienced trauma, consistent and caring adults can become a vital part of the healing process.

The weekly sessions have become an anchor in their lives.

Every Monday brings something positive to look forward to—a chance to reconnect with the horses, spend time with trusted adults and begin the week in a place where they feel safe.

Healing Together

The impact extends well beyond the two girls.

Their grandmother, Anna, who cares for them every day, has also experienced the difference these sessions have made.

Rather than simply bringing the children to an appointment, Anna is able to share in an experience they all genuinely enjoy together. Those shared moments are helping to strengthen family relationships, create happy memories and provide opportunities to connect away from the pressures of everyday life.

One reflection from the project captures this beautifully:

"They really like to set the week off by attending the sessions on a Monday. They enjoy quality sibling time where they don't annoy each other."

Sometimes it's the simplest observations that reveal the greatest impact.

Why This Matters

Not every child needs the same support.

Some need someone to believe in them.

Some need time.

Some need stability.

Some need relationships they can trust.

Move the Mind provides all of these things.

Over time, the sessions have delivered significant therapeutic benefits for Marina, Monica and Anna. The combination of structured support, trusted relationships, purposeful activities and the unique connection with the horses has helped strengthen emotional wellbeing, build confidence and create a greater sense of security for the whole family.

Changing a Child's Story

At the Alfie Nick Foundation, we don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions.

Instead, we seek out exceptional organisations already making a difference and help more children access the support they otherwise may never receive.

Our partnership with Move the Mind is a wonderful example of what can happen when children are given the opportunity to heal in an environment where they feel safe, valued and understood.

For Marina and Monica, the journey continues.

There will undoubtedly still be challenges ahead.

But today they face those challenges with greater confidence, stronger relationships and something every child deserves - hope.

Because sometimes changing a child's story doesn't begin with a grand gesture.

Sometimes, it begins with a trusted relationship, a quiet Monday morning... and a horse waiting patiently in the field.