Building Robot Hands - Note From Founder

This year has honestly surprised me in the best way. I’ve been looking back at the work I’ve done, and it’s reminded me why I love what I do. Every session with young people has to feel creative, warm, non-clinical and full of colour. I can have the vision, but that doesn’t automatically mean it will land for each young person. “Working” means it feels right for them, that the space actually supports their needs.

Every referral is different, and I always try to shape something personal, especially in 1:1 work. This year I really pushed myself with ideas, but I also learned the power of keeping things simple. Young people feel deeply. They see past the shiny stuff. What matters most is how you show up.

One of my favourite moments was building a robot hand with one of my young people. The real focus was emotional development and helping them express themselves, but the creativity made the space safer than any structured worksheet ever could. Even when things went wrong, we just laughed, adapted and kept going. Being human messy, imperfect and real creates safety too.

I learned that you don’t always need a lot of materials. You just need to be present. That’s where the real progress happens.

I truly love my job.

S