This Is Me

13/04/2026

📣 This Is Me needs your help (and it only takes a few minutes)!

There’s a really important Access to Work debate in Parliament this week on Wednesday, the 15th April at 4pm.

And we need MPs in the room who actually understand what’s going on.

Because right now they are far too many people in need of support who are dealing with delays, stress, and a system that just isn’t working the way it should.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Find your MP: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
2. Email them (you can use the template below 👇)
3. Add a line about your own experience if you feel able
4. Hit send
5. Share this post

That’s it.

Your voice matters more than you think, especially when it comes from lived experience. 🙏🏻 If Access to Work has impacted you, this is one small action that could help create change.

And if writing feels difficult right now, even sharing this post helps 💜

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📩 Email template (copy + paste):

Subject: Please attend the Access to Work debate on 15 April at 4pm

Dear [MP’s name],

I am writing as your constituent to ask you to attend the upcoming Westminster Hall debate on Access to Work on Wednesday 15 April at 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

The Access to Work scheme is a vital lifeline for many disabled people, yet it is facing substantial delays and challenges with new and renewal awards. The current system puts jobs, livelihoods, and financial security at risk for employed and self-employed people alike.

[Add your experience here if you’d like]

I would be grateful if you could:
• Attend the debate
• Raise concerns about how Access to Work is currently working in practice
• Press the government on improvements to make the system fair and fit for purpose

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your postcode]

09/04/2026

This comes up a lot within the community.

People feel burnt out… but also feel like stopping isn’t really an option.

When you’re self-employed, there’s often a lot sitting with you. And burnout doesn’t always look like stopping. Sometimes it looks like continuing, but at a greater cost further down the line.

If this resonates, you’re not the only one in it. 💜

07/04/2026

A year ago, Allison Rose-Mannall created a single self-care blend for herself. Not as a business plan or big launch, just as a way to cope.

Living with chronic illness, disability, and life as a SEND parent meant “typical” self-care wasn’t accessible. So she made something that was.

The first photo shows one of her earliest kits, simple, handmade, and created with the energy she had.

A year on, that same idea has grown into a whole business, with the beautiful kits you see in the second photo 🤩👏🏻

Allison is now the founder of The Holistic Self-Care Kit Company, creating sensory self-care kits for parents, carers, teachers and SEND families navigating overwhelm.

This didn’t happen because things got easier. It happened because the right support was put in place.

With Access to Work and support from us at This Is Me, Allison now has the practical help she needs to build a business that works with her energy, not against it.

A powerful example of what’s possible with the right support 🙌🏻

Please go and show her some love 💜
https://theholisticselfcarekitcompany.com/

01/04/2026

Do we have any Support Workers who have experience using Beehiiv CRM Systems?🤔

31/03/2026

Last chance to enter our BCorp Bingo!

Comment or send us a message telling us which squares you completed to be in with a chance of winning 🤩

We’ll announce the winner on our socials tomorrow 👀

It's officially B Corp month!

So, as a way of getting involved and celebrating our recent milestone of becoming a certified B Corporation, we are hosting a game of B Corp bingo! 🤩

Becoming B Corp certified means This is Me has been independently verified to meet high standards of social and environmental impact, transparency, and accountability. In simple terms: we’re committed to building a business that works for people, communities and the planet, not just profit.

Each square is a small action that reflects the kinds of values B Corps encourage, from supporting ethical businesses to taking care of your wellbeing.

How to play:
1️⃣ Pick one (or more!) of the actions on the bingo card
2️⃣ Do the thing
3️⃣ Comment below to tell us what you did (or even better, share a photo)

Everyone who takes part will be entered into a prize draw to win a COOK e-voucher, so the winner can have dinner on us. 😋

We chose COOK because they’re also a Certified B Corp, make delicious food with loads of choice (including options for different dietary needs), deliver across the UK and have shops dotted around too.

📅 The prize draw closes at the end of March, so you’ve got plenty of time to tick off a few squares.

Small actions can create big change, and we’d love you to join us.

So… which square are you ticking off first? 👀

30/03/2026

The office will be closed on Friday, 3rd April and Monday, 6th April, for Easter weekend. 🐣

We will be open again from Tuesday at 8:30am, as usual. 😊

27/03/2026

If you’re living with endometriosis and trying to work alongside it, you might know that feeling of having to push through, working around your energy, figuring it out as you go. Even on days when it feels like your body is asking for something else.

You might feel like you’re meant to do all of that quietly, pretending you're fine, for fear of being a 'burden', or not taken seriously.

But that doesn’t mean it is fine. It just means you’re dealing with something people can’t always see, while still trying to show up in your life and your work.

And that can come at a cost.

Remember, it’s okay if things don’t look the same every day. It’s okay if you need more space, more rest, or more support.

And it’s also why these conversations matter, why change in workplaces matters and why being listened to properly matters. 💜

25/03/2026

Allison the Founder, along with support, has grown this business in just 1 year, helping hundreds of people with accessible, realistic self-care.

Accessible emotional regulation and self-care support for parents and kids. Trauma-informed, neurodivergent-aware tools for nervous system regulation. Founded by a qualified specialist & SEND mum. We offer grounding blends & specialist kits for burnout, anxiety, and sleep.

25/03/2026

What does a support worker actually do?

It’s not always what people expect. Sometimes it’s visible. Sometimes it isn’t. But it can make a real difference to everyday life.

And if someone comes to mind while you’re reading this, send it to them, or tag them below to let them know they’re appreciated. 😊💜

20/03/2026

Just thinking about the people who are trying their best in ways most people don’t see.

Like… the effort it takes to get through a “normal” day.
Or to keep going when your energy’s already gone.
Or to explain yourself (again).
Or to not explain yourself at all.

If that’s you, we see you. And it still counts, even if no one else notices. 💜

17/03/2026

Having the right support in place can make such a meaningful difference. 🙌🏻

It’s really encouraging to see awards like this coming through, especially with the current uncertainty around Access to Work funding.

So honoured to be part of your journey 💜

🌹 I’m really pleased to share some good news that I’ve been awarded support through the UK Government’s Access to Work scheme, helping remove barriers I experience as a neurodivergent Artistic Director.

This support enables Heather Foster, who runs Belfrey Youth Theatre and West Midlands Children’s Theatre, to join Rosy and me, strengthening the administrative foundations of the theatre company behind the scenes.

At our first meeting this week we were gifted pink roses from Balloon Boy (our puppet boss!) — honouring the motherline as Mother’s Day approaches.

I’m very grateful to This Is Me Agency (especially Melissa Massey) for advocating for me through the application process, and to Emily Edwards for her steady support navigating this whole new world of late diagnosis.

Moonstruck Astronaut is very much alive and developing behind the scenes, and I’m excited about what comes next! 🚀