Rise Construction Framework has supported its category winner, Lynn Akwei-Howe and her organisation, Crea8ing Community, by funding 100 trauma-informed counselling sessions for its beneficiaries.
Lynne Akwei-Howe, the Founder and CEO of Crea8ing Community, was named winner in the social impact category, which was sponsored by Rise Construction Framework, at MWOTY 2024.
She was recognised for her work providing employability and wraparound services to help vulnerable families across Wirral and Merseyside who are experiencing issues with mental health, SEND, bullying, domestic violence, and substance abuse.
Rise Construction Framework works with NHS partners on Wirral to procure capital works and services, investing a proportion of profits back into VCSE services operating in the borough.
Rise Director and Merseyside Woman of the Year 2014, Sara Lawton, said: “We have been proud to support Lynne’s work in Wirral by providing £6,000 to deliver 100 vital trauma-informed counselling sessions.
“By investing to support health services we are not only helping people who need those services most to access them more quickly, we are also helping to reduce reliance and the considerable pressure on NHS services.
“Crea8ing Community delivers incredible preventative work, which is building capacity and actively saving the public sector money, while also removing health barriers and access to work.”
Lynne’s vision for Crea8ing Community is to address systemic causes and not isolated symptoms using a trauma-informed holistic approach, growing multi-faceted support services. It offers a wide range of professional and community mental health training programmes, coaching, parenting and peer support, wellbeing activities and resources, as well as professional therapeutic support to children and parents, with many becoming volunteers or employees.
Lynne said: “Trauma and adverse childhood experiences affect approximately 50 percent of us in the UK. In our local communities facing so many issues, this can be significantly higher.
“Sixty-four percent of families we support have disclosed trauma including 50 percent domestic abuse and 22 percent facing issues with alcohol and substance misuse. The support from Rise has helped with providing access to counselling and therapy, allowing them to process some of their experiences.
“One parent told us ‘I had EMDR and been on one of the ACEs courses and it has been transformational!’. We are so grateful to Rise for their support.”
Under Lynne’s stewardship the organisation has achieved exponential growth, evolving from a grassroots self-funded solo act to a thriving organisation on the Wirral, with +£500k p.a. in funding and a dedicated team of 22 employees and 30 active volunteers, all in under five years.
To find out more, visit: https://www.crea8ingcommunity.com/
