Sometimes a book can start a conversation that’s difficult to begin.
A child might be carrying fear, worry or responsibility for what is happening at home without knowing how to explain it.
A teenage boy or man might be carrying experiences of trauma, anger or expectations about masculinity without ever having had the space to explore what sits underneath them.
These two books are very different but both can create an opportunity for something to shift.
She Is Not Your Rehab approaches breaking cycles from another point in the journey. It asks men and boys to explore what sits beneath harmful behaviours, to reflect on trauma, accountability, relationships and masculinity, and to recognise that healing cannot be placed on the women around them.
This Is Not Yours to Carry can help children understand that the things happening around them are not theirs to fix or carry. In the hands of a teacher, family support worker, refuge or youth worker, it can become a gentle way into conversations that might otherwise feel impossible to start.
“I spent part of my childhood living in women’s refuges with my brothers, and I wish we’d had a story like this then. As children, you don’t always understand what is happening around you, but you feel it and you carry so much of it. I think a book like This Is Not Yours to Carry could have helped us understand that what was happening wasn’t ours to fix, and given us a way to express those feelings with people around us.”
— Anonymous Quote
That’s why we’re putting 6,000 books into communities across the UK.
Not simply to put books on shelves, but to put resources into the hands of people who can use them to open conversations. This could be in classrooms, refuges, prisons, sports clubs, youth groups, mentoring sessions and community spaces.
And this autumn, the conversation continues as our partners at She Is Not Your Rehab visit Wales and London.
Sarah Brown, co founder of She Is Not Your Rehab and co author of This Is Not Yours to Carry, will explore how the children’s book can be used in practice to support children aged 5 to 11 affected by violence. The session will give practitioners therapeutic tools, interactive activities and practical ideas for using the book with children, both individually and in groups.
The conversation will also come to life at Love U Bro Live in Islington on 4 October, bringing men together for a morning of real talk, connection and community. Built around a simple message, tell your bro you love him, check in and stay connected, the event will create space for honest conversations about men’s mental health, healing and the importance of challenging the stigma around male vulnerability.
Because sometimes giving someone the words to understand what they’re carrying, or what they need to change, can be the beginning of something much bigger.
Read more about the book programme. | Book your tickets for upcoming events.
Questions? hello@ourvoiceourjourney.org.uk
