We wish you a Christmas filled with Joy….
A Christmas Message: Counting Our Blessings in a Year of Change
As we hang up the stockings and the dogs eye up the wrapping paper, I’ve been looking back over this year with a mixture of tenderness, relief, and deep gratitude.
It’s been a year of change for Hope’s Therapy Dogs – some of it joyful, some of it painful, all of it shaping who we are as we step into 2026.
Goodbyes, Gentle Endings and New Beginnings
Like many of the children and young people we support, we’ve had to navigate loss and transition this year. Not all of our team changes were ones we would have chosen, and there have been moments of genuine sadness and stretching. Out of respect for everyone involved, I won’t dwell on details, but I will say this: integrity, safeguarding and the wellbeing of both children and dogs will always come first, even when that leads to difficult decisions.
We also said a very tender goodbye to one of our much-loved therapy dog teams, Sarah & Saffy her wonderful retriever . After the loss of her older pack dog, Jess, Saffy developed a fear of noise, and it became clear that continuing in busy school environments was no longer in her best interests. Sarah has now moved on to new pastures, and Saffy is now enjoying a very well-earned retirement.
Saying goodbye is never easy – especially when dogs and humans have poured their hearts into the work – but we will always choose what is kindest and safest for our animals. That is the foundation of safe work with children.
Practising What We Teach
On a personal level, this has been a year of significant trauma and challenge for me too. There have been days when it felt like the ground was shifting under my feet.
But in those moments, I’ve gone back to the very things we teach the children:
to notice the helpers,
to feel your feelings safely,
to take one small step at a time,
to look for what is still good and still true.
Counting my blessings has not been a fluffy slogan – it’s been a daily discipline. Hope’s Therapy Dogs was born from heartbreak, and once again I’ve been reminded that hope is not the absence of hard things, but the decision to keep going through them.
A National Win That Meant the World
One of the brightest highlights of 2025 was winning the EVAS Award for Health and Wellbeing.
This isn’t just a pretty trophy on a shelf. The EVAS are a national award that really scrutinise their nominees and finalists. To be examined that closely and then to be chosen as the winner means the world to us. It felt like a public affirmation of what we quietly pour ourselves into every week:
doing things ethically,
prioritising welfare,
and genuinely changing lives, not just ticking boxes.
That award belongs to every child who has trusted a therapy dog with their worries, every member of staff who has welcomed us into school, and every dog who has curled up beside a young person on a difficult day.
Sharing Stories of Hope
We’ve also had the joy (and slightly surreal experience!) of sharing our story on:
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Lancashire
UCB Radio and their Lifestories podcast
Each invitation has been an opportunity to talk about the real, everyday impact of animal assisted intervention: the anxious child who finally walks into the classroom, the teenager who finds words for their grief while stroking a dog’s ears, the staff team who breathe out for the first time all week when a dog walks into the staffroom.
Every time we’re given a platform, my hope is the same: that listeners come away understanding that this is not a gimmick – it’s a professional, evidence-informed approach that brings hope and healing in very practical ways.
Welcoming a New Team with the Same Heart
Behind the scenes, our new staff team (aka Marion, Tam, Becks & Andrea)have already shown themselves to be true “Hope’s Therapy Dogs” in every sense.
They have picked up the baton with humility and courage, learning our standards, our safeguarding processes, and – most importantly – our heart. Each one carries our ethos and mission in their own way, bringing different skills but a shared commitment to:
the wellbeing of children and young people,
the welfare of our dogs,
and the values that sit quietly under everything we do.
Change can be unsettling, but it can also be refining. I can honestly say that, as we close the year, I feel proud of the team who stand alongside me and of the culture we are rebuilding together.
Riding the Storm of School Budgets
Summer brought another kind of challenge as many schools felt the pinch of tightening budgets. Some had to make the heartbreaking decision to pause or end services, and we felt those losses keenly – not just financially, but relationally.
And yet…
We have picked ourselves up and continued to move forward. We’ve tightened our belts, reviewed how we work, and looked for creative ways to add value. As we step into 2026, we count it a genuine blessing that we are in the same position we were 12 months ago, when it could so easily have been much worse.
We’ve welcomed new partners and begun to establish ourselves more clearly as social value partners, offering meaningful, measurable impact for schools, organisations, and the wider community. That is something we intend to build on in the year ahead.
Thank You & Christmas Blessings
So, as Christmas lights twinkle and dogs everywhere position themselves strategically near the turkey, I want to say a heartfelt thank you:
To the children and young people who have trusted us with their stories.
To the families, schools and organisations who have continued to invest in this work, even when budgets are tight.
To our incredible dogs, who show up with wagging tails and gentle hearts, no matter what the day holds.
To our team, old and new, who keep doing the quiet, unseen work that makes the visible magic possible.
This has not been an easy year. But it has been a year where love, faith, resilience, and community have had the final word.
From all of us – human and canine – at Hope’s Therapy Dogs,
we wish you a peaceful, hope-filled Christmas and a New Year full of gentle surprises and fresh courage. 🎄🐾
If you’d like to journey with us into 2026, we’d love you to stay connected, share our story, and continue championing the emotional wellbeing of children and young people alongside us.