At Calon Thrive, we believe every child deserves to be seen, heard, and supported by emotionally present adults who meet them with kindness, clarity, and hope. Our Emotional First Aid training is inclusive, trauma-informed, and shaped by real-life experience,  professional, personal, and deeply human.

We use emotionally resonant, child-centred imagery, like rainbows, stars, and playful visual elements, to honour the emotional worlds of children. These symbols aren’t decorative; they’re intentional. They help foster emotional safety, connection, and curiosity for adults and children alike, making deep learning accessible, memorable, and meaningful.

Meet Ellie — Founder & Emotional Wellbeing Specialist

 As Founder of Calon Thrive, my work is driven by a deep commitment to protecting, supporting, and empowering children, families, and the adults who care for them.

I am a Doctoral Researcher specialising in child protection, domestic abuse, and the experiences of mothers following the removal of their children. My academic background includes a Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, a BA in Health and Social Care, and a Level 5 BTEC diploma in teaching. Alongside my research, I am also a qualified Emotional First Aid and Mental Health First Aid trainer, passionate about equipping people with the confidence, compassion, and emotional understanding needed to respond meaningfully to distress, whether in professional roles, communities, or everyday life.

My professional and academic work is deeply grounded in lived practice. For more than a decade, I have worked as a foster carer with Foster Care Associates, specialising in parent-and-child fostering, while also fostering children with additional needs, cross-cultural identities, and experiences of developmental and relational trauma. Supporting families during some of the most vulnerable and transformative moments of their lives has profoundly shaped my understanding of trauma, attachment, resilience, and recovery and continues to inform every aspect of my work through a trauma-informed and relationship-based lens.

Prior to this, I served for 28 years in the RAF as a Welfare Officer and trainer, experiences that strengthened my understanding of trauma, resilience, and the importance of compassionate leadership in times of crisis.

My passion for this work is also deeply personal. I grew up in a home affected by domestic violence and was supported through the social care system myself. I know what it feels like to feel unseen, unheard, and unsupported. Calon Thrive was created from that 

understanding, a space where carers, educators, professionals, and families can feel understood, strengthened, and never alone in the work they do.

Meet Pete — Co-founder & Care Advocate
 

As co-founder of Calon Thrive, my work is grounded in a lifetime of service, resilience, and unwavering belief in the power of human connection.

I served for 32 years in the RAF, including as a Resistance to Interrogation instructor during operational tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. In some of the most challenging environments imaginable, I witnessed both the fragility and strength of the human spirit. Those experiences taught me that people do not heal through control or judgement , they heal through trust, safety, compassion, and authentic relationships.

Alongside my military career, I have walked a deeply personal journey through adoption, fostering, and parenting. Adopted as a child myself, I am now both a foster and adoptive parent, as well as a foster carer with Foster Care Associates. These lived experiences give me a profound understanding of trauma, identity, attachment, and the lifelong impact of feeling seen, valued, and safe.

My training in approaches such as The Incredible Years and Lighthouse Parenting has further strengthened my commitment to trauma-informed care, neurodiversity, emotional attunement, and relationship-based support.

At Calon Thrive, I bring together the clarity, resilience, and leadership forged through military service with the empathy, patience, and tenderness shaped through caregiving. My mission is to walk alongside carers, parents, and professionals supporting children who have experienced adversity, helping create spaces where healing, connection, and hope can truly thrive.

🌈 Why We Use Rainbows and Story-Rich Imagery

Our training materials include symbols like rainbows, stars, and other playful, child-centred designs because they:

🌟 Reflect the emotional landscapes children navigate

🌈 Honour the beauty in difference and healing after hardship

🧸 Support a safe learning space that’s gentle, memorable, and inclusive

Rainbows are more than just colourful arcs—they carry emotional weight that resonates deeply with children and the adults who care for them.

🌦 Represent hope after hardship, showing that beauty can follow emotional storms

🎨 Reflect the range of emotions children navigate day to day

🧸 Create a sense of safety, familiarity, and magic in learning environments

🌈 Symbolise inclusion and diversity, reminding us that every colour, every story, every child belongs

For many children, rainbows are comforting and powerful. They offer a bridge between what’s felt and what’s spoken, and they help adults reconnect with their own empathy, imagination, and emotional presence.

They help carers and professionals access their own empathy, creativity, and sense of play, powerful tools for connection and healing

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🫶 Our Mission

We exist to meet people exactly where they are—with practical tools, emotional understanding, and deep respect for the stories they carry. We’re here for those who hold space for children: carers, educators, parents, social workers, and community champions. Because children don’t just need care—they need emotionally attuned adults who show up again and again with steady hearts and listening ears.