13/06/2025
Imagine spending 6 years building up a sucsessful and safe place to support our children to learn and grow, to have someone come and set fire to it! I Am truly disgusted. If anyone has any information or can help in anyway I know the team at The Willows Child Development will appreciate it!
💔 We Are Heartbroken - But Not Completely Broken 💔
Last night, someone broke into our Willow Forest site and deliberately set fire to our secure storage container. All of the equipment inside, vital resources, things we rely on to care for the land and keep it safe for the children has been completely destroyed.
I honestly feel sick. I’ve spent six years building Willow Forest into a place where children and young people who’ve been let down, misunderstood, or overwhelmed by the school system can come to feel safe. A place where they can be nurtured, accepted, and free.
To know that someone has done this to a space that exists solely for healing is deeply devastating.
What they’ve destroyed wasn’t just tools, resources and machinery. It was the heart of how we care for this land and this community. It was part of what makes Willow Forest feel held, loved, and ready for the children who walk through our gates.
But we will NOT let this stop us.
The site is safe, and Willow Forest will be open as usual from next week. We will be there with open arms, calm hearts, and deep resolve, because our children need us, and we are not going anywhere.
We’re working with the police, and I want to say a huge thank you to the fire service for their quick, kind response.
If you’re able to support us, we’ll be sharing a GoFundMe very soon to help us recover and rebuild. I know it’s just stuff… but it’s stuff we worked hard for, stuff we use every day to hold this space safely.
Thank you to everyone who has messaged already, your love means more than you know.
With a heavy heart,
Kelly & The Willow Forest Team 🌱
Edit - our incredible team over at our nursery Little Willows Childcare have already set up a GoFundMe - https://gofund.me/d5629f8c I am so overwhelmed with the love and support, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
