[ connect 2018 • 23 There are hundreds of children throughout Ireland trapped in a world of hurt and silence whose voices are not being heard. But there is hope for them. The Blue Box is a ground-breaking project that gives these children a voice, many for the first time. It’s the only project of its kind in Ireland. It provides the help these children desperately need by creat- ing a safe haven through Creative Arts Therapies (Play, Music, Art, Dance/Drama therapy). This speaks to the individual child in ways they understand and already use in everyday life, because play is the first language of every child. Trauma deprives a child of life’s possibilities. Many of our children suffer trauma in the home environment, which is traditionally a place of safety for Irish children. What is normally safe for most children is not for many of the children we support. This has created a need for Blue Box services. The Ireland Funds’ support has enabled Blue Box to offer more ser- vices to the children who are referred for Creative Arts Therapy work from the most deprived areas of Limerick. This makes a remarkable difference to a child’s therapy experience. It can mean that a child (or child and parent) can have the maximum amount of service in the academic year. This is significant in a child’s healing process by helping them build a more secure relationship with the Therapist that supports their ability to process and integrate their learned experience. To be able to offer more Blue Box services to a school that is strug- gling to meet the emotional and psychological needs of disadvantaged children when their role is to educate, is seen by Principals as a huge support. Children who have been traumatized often cannot learn. Neuro- science now validates what people in Education and Therapy have known, that there is an essential need for a child to receive the kind of services Blue Box Creative Arts Therapies offer. In order for children to be fully engaged and have equal opportunity in school, home life and society, there need to be trauma-informed Intervention therapies like Blue Box. I would like to sincerely thank The Ireland Funds and in particular thank the Donors for their foresight and compassionate action and with a spirit of great generosity in supporting and investing in this life-changing intervention for children and the future generations of Ireland. In Gratitude, Bernadette Kenny CEO of The Blue Box Creative Arts Therapy Centre