Evidence-based creative arts specialist support services
The Green House is a charity which offers support for children, young people and families who live in Avon and Somerset and who have experienced sexual abuse.
We have been providing therapy for adult survivors of sexual abuse since the 1970s. We were formerly known as the Avon Sexual Abuse Centre and in 2010 created a children’s service.
In 2019 we moved to St. Agnes Lodge, our therapy and family support service centre in St Pauls, Bristol.
In January 2022, we decided to focus solely on supporting children and families so that children could have access to timely, specialist support services that were right for them.
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The Green House has been providing therapy for people affected by sexual abuse for over 30 years.
Our mission
At the Green House we believe in providing support led by what young people and their families have told us. We want to build relationships with and between families who have experienced sexual abuse. Our services have a creative arts focus because we believe in the power of creativity in helping families to rebuild their lives after abuse experiences. Research guides everything we do. It helps us to understand our service and develop best practice nationally. It helps survivors to speak out and influence change.
You can read more about the Green House’s mission through our Annual Reports to the Charities Commission.
Services Team
Explore Our TeamOur Impact
In 2023 we supported:
173 children and young people with 1:1 therapy to begin their healing journey
7 children and young people with a nature-based therapy group to find healing through nature
96 children and young people with an online peer support circle with The Mix to feel less alone
60 parents and carers with 1:1 Family Support Work sessions to build the tools and resilience to support their child
13 parents and carers with a 6 week psychoeducation group to understand the impact of trauma
13 young people and parents/carers in our Survivor Voice groups to become powerful agents of change
70% of children and young people felt their mental health had improved by the end of therapy
75% experienced positive change in their behaviour, new skills or a positive impact on their quality of life following therapy
55% felt more resilience and able to function better socially at the end of therapy
Our Values
At the Green House we believe that children, young people, and families should be able to design, deliver and choose services that are right for them. We combine research, practice expertise and lived experience to deliver innovative whole family services that can support survivors to rebuild their lives after sexual abuse.
We believe it's possible to grow beyond traumatic experiences. Our hope for change recognises the strengths and agency of the children, young people and families we support.
Our commitment lies in nurturing safe and trusting relationships that form the core of healing for both individuals and communities.
We have faith in the ability of creativity to facilitate healing and change the way our society supports children and families affected by sexual abuse.
We believe in meeting people where they are, and we strive to be honest, committed and authentic in all our actions.
We stand with children, young people and families to create the change they want to see.
Our Board of Trustees
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Steve Livings, Chair of Board
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A police officer for over 30 years in the Avon & Somerset Constabulary, Steve retired in 2001 having served as Chief Superintendent and the District Police Commander for South Bristol. He is currently the Safeguarding Chair for the Catholic Church’s Clifton Diocese. Steve has been active with The Green House for 15 years. As Chair he leads the Trustees to fulfil our charitable aims.
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Pip McGrath, Treasurer
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Pip currently works as a Business Services Director for Keep Wales Tidy. Her role encompasses finance, H.R. and governance.
Pip is a qualified accountant (F.C.C.A) and has worked in finance and accountancy in various roles, both the private and public sectors before spending the last 15 years in charity roles. She started in a very junior finance role in British Rail after graduating in Public Administration from the University of Glamorgan. “I have always retained my love of finance and trains!”
Pip aims to bring her various experience and knowledge surrounding good practice to support the Green House team and help contribute to the strategic direction of the charity, acting as an advocate for the tremendous work that is being done.
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Miranda Payne, Trustee Secretariat
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Since graduating from the University of Bristol, Miranda has worked in administrative and operational charity roles. She has developed a passion for the small charity sector and the importance of good leadership and governance. She is an aspiring trustee and leader in the charity sector.
Having grown up in a fostering household, Miranda has witnessed first-hand some of the negative effects that abuse and trauma can have on children. She is delighted to be able to support The Green House in their vital work to help children in these situations.
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Richard Howell
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Richard was born in Canada and came to the UK in 1969 and is qualified as a solicitor and a mediator. He worked in a Bristol firm for 25 years, heading up the family department, and as a managing partner. As a Children Panel solicitor Richard represented young people in public law proceedings.
In 2010 Richard was appointed as a District Judge in Bristol undertaking cases relating to the welfare of young people, including those involving physical and sexual abuse. In 2017 Richard became the presiding judge in the Family Drugs and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in Gloucester. In that court he worked with a team of social work and health professionals, parents and their children to achieve and sustain abstinence with a view to keeping families together. Richard was appointed the judicial representative on the President’s Advisory Panel for FDACs.
Richard retired as a judge in May 2023 and is now able to devote more time to his wood engraving.
Throughout his professional career Richard has been focussed on promoting the welfare of young people and looks forward to continuing to find ways to do so with The Green House.
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Dr Janet Reibstein
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Janet Reibstein is Professor Emerita in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter, where she directed the postgraduate programme in family and couple therapy, as well as running a research and clinical training psychotherapy clinic. Prior to that she was Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge and Psychology Consultant at Kings College, Cambridge. She is the author of The Exeter Model and the Intercultural Exeter Model, innovative and evidence-based methods for working with couples now in a wide use in NHS services and private practice.
She has been a member of the Clinical Advisory Board of Relate and on the Board of the Employer Initiative on Domestic Abuse (a nation-wide project sponsored by the Vodaphone Foundation).
For twelve years she was a member of the Academic Board of The Mind Gym business consultancy. She has a private psychotherapy practice in London within The Child and Family Practice in London.
She is the author of several books on relationships, marriage, and the family, and numerous publications, both in the academic and in the popular media; was for a number of years on the editorial board of the Journal of Family Therapy, guest-editing two issues; and for many years was the chief spokesperson for the British Psychological Society on relationships. Her research interests, culminating in books on the subjects, have focused on well-being and skilful relating; long-enduring satisfying partnerships; divorce and separation; affairs within marriage; relationships at work; families with breast cancer, and therapy with couples.
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Dr Susan O'Connor
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Susan is working part time as Consultant Psychiatrist at the Adult Community Mental Health for Somerset Foundation Trust. During her 45-year-old career she has held several posts in the health service, in Policy development, and in the voluntary sector.
Susan has worked as a Senior Clinical Advisor in the Department of Health from 2008 – 11, clinically leading the development of three key mental health policies for England: New Horizons, the consultancy and final strategy July and December (2009); and No Health without Mental Health, a cross government mental health outcome strategy for a people of all ages (2011).
Before taking up the position at the Department, she was the Medical Director for one of the largest mental Health Trusts in England with over 100 medical consultants and 150 junior doctors, with a total staffing of over 3000 with a turnover for over £160m. She is a recognised expert in the field. She was awarded a National Gold Clinical Excellent award in 2003 and has acted as an advisor to a range of national bodies and other organisations helping to shape National Mental Health Policy.
She has worked as Clinical Advisor with the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and development (OECD) on developing mental health outcome indicators across different countries and has worked as a Clinical Advisor for: Monitor giving advice on a Trust merger; and with The Centre for Mental Health on the implementation of the Mental health policy.
Among many interests she ran a reading group in a woman’s prison and was the first Trustee then Chair of the Citizens Advice Bureau in North Somerset until 2018. She was also a Trustee for The Manor Gardens Centre a community centre in North London until 2017. She is GMC Fitness to Practice panellist and chair and independent reviewer for the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
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Rob Senior
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Rob has had a long career. After qualifying as a doctor, he had a short time as an alternative practitioner while training as a family therapist. He then returned to psychiatry working at the Tavistock and Portman for nearly 30 years including 12 years as their Medical Director. He chose to step down in 2018. He has many years of experience of working at Board level. The clinical work he did at that time, and continues to do, is in multiagency services for children and young people known to the Local Authority including Looked After Children. He has worked for much of his professional life with issues connected with child abuse and neglect. He was the named doctor for child protection at the Tavistock and, following the death of Victoria Climbie, he set up and ran groups for named and designated doctors and nurses in London. He served on what was the Area Child Protection Committee and then on the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board in Camden.
His connection with the Green House comes about because he was very involved in the development of the Lighthouse pilot in North London. He ran a modest precursor to the Lighthouse with a small DH grant which allowed them to develop the relationships from which the successful bid for the Lighthouse grew.
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Dr Lucy Martin
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Lucy graduated from Aberystwyth University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations. She then went on to York University to complete both of her master’s degrees in MA Applied Human Rights, and MA Political Research. It was here that she also completed a PhD in ‘Voluntary sector responses to working with men and boys to tackle gender-based violence’.
Throughout her working life, her passion for the protection of human rights is evident. First working as a Research Associate at the same university she completed her MA degrees and PhD, exploring and fostering partnerships between human rights, humanitarian and development partners to protect those at risk (2015). She then moved to working as an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor at New Pathways Family Friendly Therapeutic Centre of Excellence (2016). Working within multi-agency framework to provide support for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.
Lucy is a phenomenal fundraiser, which will be the area of expertise she will continue to provide for The Green House. From 2016-2019 she worked as the Trusts and Grants Fundraiser for Safe Lives. During her time here, she secured large grants worth circa £400-800K and was awarded ‘Best Fundraising Newcomer’ by Charity People.
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Luca Dunkley
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Luca is our youngest Trustee member. Although at an early stage in his career with a modest amount of experience in the financial sector, he learns quickly and assimilating his knowledge to facilitate discussions and decision making. He aims to bring a responsible mindset to the critical area of management and financial administration of the charity’s capital funds, preserving purchasing power, and business plan.
Additionally, as a digital-native Gen Z person, Luca looks towards providing guidance in marketing and social media activities, not least when targeting content to Gen Z and millennial communities.
His age (23 years old at the time of joining the Board) will naturally provide a younger and therefore more diversified mindset to the composition of the board. “[…] which I hope will help broaden the viewpoint of our discussions. I hope to be a polite challenger to the status quo and offer new perspectives and ideas for the growth and impact of the charity. Furthermore, I feel that I will be able to closely align myself with the young people we support and in doing so help in the process of making the very best decisions for them.”
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Jacqui Marshall
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Jacqui has extensive Board experience across the public sector in NHS and HEE and as a senior civil servant in Government Departments. She has been a CPO and has led on Change and transformation across sectors. Delivering people focussed solutions and being a natural innovator and disrupter to bring new people focussed solutions to businesses. Jacqui is a coach and mentor with experience in Board development.
Jacqui has worked as a NED for Torbay and South Devon hospital and as a Trustee of Young Bristol for several years. She managed international relationships at University of Exeter and was executive lead for Southmead hospital charity. Jacqui has recently retired from full time public service and is now setting out on a new portfolio career.