Bobby’s Base: Bobby Colleran Trust launches its new centre to support young people in Liverpool

Local children’s charity, The Bobby Colleran Trust, will today (12th May 2022) launch its centre for health and wellbeing after more than eight years of fundraising.

Bobby’s Base, in West Derby, will be delivering free health and wellbeing support to children and young people across the city region when the charity plans to open in late Summer 2022.

Featuring three dedicated therapy rooms, including a group therapy space, the centre will also feature a sensory garden and an informal chat and chill space to provide holistic and diverse mental health treatments and support for children and young people. Today’s launch will give partners the opportunity to tour the site and make pledges of support to enable the charity to complete the fit-out of the building.

Bobby’s Base represents a dream milestone for the charity that first launched the well-known ‘Slow Down for Bobby’ road safety campaign in 2014, when 6-year-old Bobby Colleran was killed in a road accident. The impact on the mental health of Bobby’s siblings led his mother, Joanne, to spearhead the improvement of bereavement therapy for young people whilst fundraising through the annual Bobby Blue Day, football tournaments and events.

In 2020, the Trust launched Take Care for Bobby, a mental health programme to expand their bereavement counseling service to provide accessible therapy and support for children and young people.

Charity founder, Joanne Colleran, said:

“Launching Bobby’s Base really is a dream for us and marks a special moment in our crusade to create a lasting legacy for Bobby. We just have the building so far but with the help of our supporters, we are confident that we can make a wellness hub that will provide a much-needed sanctuary and community space for the children and young people who need support right now.”

The Trust aims to officially open Bobby’s Base to children and young people in August 2022 and is welcoming donations of all sizes to support via their JustGiving page. All the progress can be followed on the charity’s social channels, @thebobbycollerantrust .