Background
Dawn has run successfully since 1997. It was set up in response to the growing need for help for those children and adults affected by the break up of a marriage or other long- term relationship.
The Project was originally conceived in 1996 and set up by the Sheffield Diocese of the Church of England Social Responsibility Committee. It currently still operates as part of the Diocese but has a long-term aim to become a separate charitable organisation.
Dawn has it’s own management committee, constitution and policies. The Diocese devolves to the Project’s management committee the powers to make decisions on the Project’s management and development, to raise funds to support the work of the Project and to recruit and manage Project staff.
Dawn does not seek to promote any religious beliefs and is committed to supporting people of all faiths and none.
The original aims of the Project were to run short ‘Surviving the Break Up’ courses run by trained counsellors for people going through separation and divorce, to promote mutual support within the courses, to research the needs of adults and children affected by separation and divorce and to work in partnership with other organisations.
Having started out as a single service Project, Dawn has continued to develop its work over time in response to the expressed needs of the people it seeks to support and to the gaps identified in the services available to them through our own work and that of colleagues in other organisations. This has included the development of:
- ‘Surviving the Break Up’
- Hear 4 U (Peer Support Project for Adults)
- Resources to support adults and children,
- Parent’s courses,
- Work with teachers, learning mentors and children in schools.
- Monthly drop ins for service users and volunteers
- Monthly walks for service users and volunteers
- Primary school training package
- Training for Professionals working with children and young people
