Inspiration in Education nominee – Emerging Dreams

Inspiration in Education nominee – Emerging Dreams

Husband and wife team David and Sam Davis set up a psychological and therapeutic support service inspired by their own experiences as the parents of two children with additional needs.

They work with children and adults from their base at The Brampton in Newcastle-under-Lyme after setting up Emerging Dreams Ltd just before the pandemic.

Psychologist Sam and therapist and group leader David are both Staffordshire University alumni and have guided some of the people they work with onto Staffordshire University’s Step Up to Higher Education programme.

They have been nominated in the Inspiration in Education category of the Your Heroes Awards by Ashley Cotton, programme manager for the Step Up course.

Ashley said: “Emerging Dreams Ltd work positively in supporting individuals with psychological support in the local community with the aim to address mental and emotional concerns, including working with those who may have experienced past history of substance abuse.

“Many of their clients, and those they have supported through their services, have grown personally in confidence and self-belief which has led many of them to move positively with their lives, whether that be through work or education.

“To date, we have supported three individuals through our Step Up to Higher Education programme due to close community working relationships with Emerging Dreams Ltd and their team being Staffordshire University alumni.

“I have been fortunate enough to work with the individuals who have made such positive strides with their development, which is testament to the solid foundation of support that Emerging Dreams Ltd provide and joined up support at Staffordshire University in order to ensure a continuation of support, while providing accessible progression community routes onto undergraduate degrees for those same individuals to reach their future career ambitions.”

Three people supported by Emerging Dreams have completed the Step Up course and three others are due to join the next cohort.

David said: “Sam and I have got two kids with additional needs. We ended up paying privately for various services we needed for them because of the waiting times.

“The need for the sort of services we provide is massive. People are being put on waiting lists for three years.”

He added: “It’s nice to be recognised with a Your Heroes nomination but we’ve never done it for awards. We do it because our passion is in helping the less privileged and people that genuinely need the support.”