Stay Calm and Connect
Saddleworth Life met up with a new local set-up, Calm Connections, recently and found out more about one of the key people behind the scenes…
Greenfield Lad – Paul Wolstenholme
Tell us a little about yourself, Paul
I’m Paul Wolstenholme: part-time Dad, part-time trainee psychotherapist and part-time co-Director of Calm Connections.
What do you do in your work?
Calm Connections offers early intervention support to meet the needs of the whole family, who learn useful tools and techniques together to strengthen their relationships through building connection and communication. We can help families feel calmer and more positive through teaching a range of communication skills, mindfulness practices and other holistic techniques. This empowers family members to achieve greater understanding of each other, experience fewer negative emotions and less anxiety as well as more confidence, resilience and tools to manage all aspects of life in a calmer, more harmonious and positive way.
We offer a range of fun and flexible programmes, which we can tailor to a specific family for one-to-one support or to address a common theme for groups of families via collaborative workshops (e.g. positive communication, connection through creativity, identifying boundaries, building self-esteem, digital detox, mindfulness and relaxation techniques).
How did your business come about and where is it going?
Both myself and my business partner, Emma, have worked as school teachers and love working with children and their families. I am very passionate about personal development and am a great advocate of the benefits of mindfulness. Our original plan was to deliver mindfulness training to children in schools but, having held focus groups with a range of professionals in the social care, mental health, education and psychotherapy sectors, we realised the importance of working with the whole family in a holistic way to address any issues at the earliest possible opportunity…and Calm Connections was born!
Our vision is to grow our Community Interest Company so that we can support the relationships, wellbeing and mental health of all families in the Greater Manchester area…and beyond.
Why do you do it?
Firstly, our research and personal experiences with family challenges uncovered the yawning gap in existing provision for services that work with families before crisis point is reached. Existing support organisations are doing some great work but are massively over-stretched and there is very little out there that works with the whole family in a holistic way.
Secondly, our mission aligns with our passions and beliefs. We want to empower families by supporting them to create the loving, nurturing family environments that foster happy, safe, balanced, resilient and compassionate young people.
Are you from Saddleworth and, if so, what do you love about the area, how does it inspire your work?
Aye, I’m originally a Greenfield lad but moved away aged 7 and returned ‘home to roost’ about 16 years ago. I love the beauty of the area – connecting with nature around the peaceful, rugged, picturesque moors and reservoirs and also the historic, stone villages. The strong community spirit also resonates with me as being an important factor in well being; it’s a lovely place to bring up children and find like-minded souls to bond with. Both of these points are based on connection – with nature and people – which is a basic human need and underpins what Calm Connections is all about.
What can our readers expect from “connecting up” with you?
Follow us on Facebook for daily tips and interesting articles around parenting, mental health, mindfulness, family connection, communication, etc, plus details of our upcoming events and, starting soon, live Q&A sessions. Visit our website for details of how we support families, including our one-to-one support programmes. Drop us a line for a chat about how we could support your family.
Paul will be writing a monthly column for Saddleworth Life, covering topics such as family mental health, wellbeing, connection, communication and mindfulness. If you have any suggestions of other topics you would like to see covered, please get in touch.
Facebook: @calmconnectionscic
Website: calmconnections.org
Email: info@calmconnections.org
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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