The people behind Bridge the Gap on St Marys Gate in Derby

It was a reoccurring dream – for three nights in a row – that convinced Jennifer Wyman to take a leap of faith, follow her heart and start a new chapter in her life.

While she slept, she was being called to create a new space for children to feel safe, seen and ready to explore their emotions and when she woke, she felt empowered to do it.

‘It sounds really bizarre when I try and explain what was going on,’ says 46-year-old Jennifer, founder of Bridge the Gap on St Marys Gate in Derby. ‘But that’s what happened and that’s why I set up the project.’

There was deep worry, enormous stress and financial insecurity – not to mention the fact that Jennifer was walking away from a career, a decent pension and the possibility of never being able to afford to take her own kids on holiday again or ‘do the house up’.

Yet she knew she had to help children, work with them to understand and manage their emotions before reaching crisis point, and set up a centre where young people could feel brave.

Jennifer has never looked back and together with her friend, colleague and closest ally, Nikki Webster, they are turning children’s lives around and giving parents practical tools to build emotional confidence and resilience that lasts.

From their small base in the heart of Derby, the pair, together with a dedicated bunch of professionals, work their socks off.

‘If we want emotionally healthy adults, we need emotionally literate environments for children,’ says 38-year-old Nikki.

‘I joined Bridge the Gap after I met Jen at my children’s school. I was working in a senior role as a mental health nurse and was cruising towards breaking point.

‘I had lost three patients to suicide and was starting to feel very shocked by how many children were accessing secondary mental health services.

Bridge the Gap has been serving the local community since 2017 Photo: Alstom

‘Jen and I met for a coffee and she told me about her passion to deliver evidence-based emotional literacy and mental health awareness to children.

‘I felt immediately connected because I knew all about the current crisis in mental health and I agreed that we needed to support children to develop effective self-care and management of their emotions.’

Step inside Bridge the Gap, which is an award-winning community interest company (CIC), and you’ll see a welcoming space filled with colour and positive vibes.

Beautifully-painted murals decorate some of the walls, there are toys and lots of colouring pencils and pictures just waiting for someone to pick up and enjoy. On the ground floor, there is also a small café for service users and guests.

Bridge the Gap only moved to St Marys Gate at the back end of last year, but Jennifer says she is already seeing the positives of being based in the heart of the city.

Since it opened in 2017, it has supported thousands of young people and their parents and is one of the biggest providers of support in Derbyshire.

‘Bridge the Gap isn’t a crisis centre and emotional literacy isn’t a one-off lesson,’ continues Jennifer.

‘It is really something we can embed in the culture of our homes, schools, health, and social care services. It’s the gentle, consistent drip-feeding that wires emotional neural pathways.

‘As a parent, we teach our kids to swim because we don’t want them to drown. This isn’t a guarantee that they won’t fall into deep water – but what they have learnt at the swimming baths is a pretty good insurance policy.

Nikki and Jennifer in the calming corner (Image: Bridge the Gap) ‘At Bridge the Gap we teach children how to emotionally swim. It’s the same premise, start young and move through the levels as they grow, this helps them to build authentic emotional resilience and helps to protect their mental health through life’s challenges.

‘Emotional health has to be a priority. Children can’t share what they don’t understand. They can’t name emotions that they have never been taught to recognise, and yet, we expect them to regulate, communicate and cope without giving them the consistent passive, or active, emotional education.’

For more than 22 years, Jennifer worked as an early years’ practitioner and emotional literacy specialist, supporting parents and young people to reach positive long-term goals. She loved her role but felt like there was more for her achieve and started creating engaging content for both children, parents, and professionals.

‘I have lived experience of mental health illness and here isn’t the right platform to share my story or anyone else’s. What I will say is that a teacher at school saved my life and without this intervention, I would not be here today,’ she adds.

‘As I grew and developed, I knew that young people deserved a safe and non-judgmental spaces to explore how they are feeling and I am committed to making a difference to the children in Derby.

‘Emotional literacy is the missing piece I didn’t know I needed. It helped me to heal and when I was offered the opportunity to study and specialise in emotional literacy and development, it was like someone handed me the key to a language I’d been trying to speak for my entire life.’

As you can imagine, there’s a waiting list to access services at Bridge the Gap – but it’s not massive. Lack of funds and city-wide support mean that Jennifer, Nikki and their team can’t support everyone and all at the same time. The pair also can’t bring themselves to put their prices up and subside almost everything they do – but they battle on with their fundraising.

The unique project has a prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service and is relationship-focused, which means staff take time to build trust with each child, creating a space where they feel able to work through their emotions.

‘The King’s Award for Voluntary Service isn’t just a title; it’s a mark of trust,’ says Jennifer. ‘It shows that our city believes in what we do – that Bridge the Gap is a place where kindness lives and where no one has to feel alone.

‘Over a year of work went into this process, and to see our commitment to the children and families we serve acknowledged and recognised at the highest level was very rewarding. It was truly an overwhelming moment for all of us. The King’s Award reminds us of the power of community and how much more we can achieve together.’

Support at Bridge the Gap is personalised and paced to an individual child’s needs, laying the groundwork for lasting emotional growth and resilience.

What Bridge the Gap teaches is that anxiety is a natural emotion, but without the right support, it can become overwhelming. An early understanding helps children feel more in control and less afraid of their feelings.

‘The children in Derby are struggling more than ever. The statistics show that children as young as eight are self-harming and struggling with suicidal thoughts,’ adds Nikki.

‘As a city, we want to show up for these children and change the statistics – this starts at Bridge the Gap, a safe, brave space for children to be themselves, to be loved and to learn more about how to support their mental health.’

‘Our carefully designed, evidence-based resources empower parents and professionals to respond with confidence and compassion, using language that truly supports emotional wellbeing,’ explains Jennifer.

‘Emotional Literacy involves recognising and understanding our own emotions, understanding context, and identifying appropriate ways to respond. It also encompasses implementing these responses while considering others’ feelings and adjusting our reactions accordingly.

‘Developing emotional literacy supports authentic emotional resilience, aiding us in nurturing children to become emotionally intelligent adults. This evidence-based approach has been shown to improve long-term outcomes for children’s mental health.’

This is undoubtedly a service that’s round-the-clock busy and, simply put, doesn’t have enough hours or funding to support all the children and parents who need a sprinkling of Bridge the Gap support.

However, both businesses and individuals are invited to sign up to join the ‘Friends of Bridge the Gap’ scheme to support children’s mental health, while donating as little as £3 a month will help to cover core costs, maintain welcoming spaces, support outreach work and give the team vital time to apply for further funding.

‘At a time when many charities and community groups are being forced to close, Bridge the Gap is more committed than ever,’ concludes Jennifer.

‘We’re committed to being a sustainable, long-term service, one that helps children know that they matter, that they are loved, and, crucially, that they are not alone.”

To find out more about Bridge the Gap, visit jwbridgethegap.com.