HELP
- us meet the need
- the Busy Buttons children find a Permanent Home
At Busy Buttons, our mission is simple: to help every child reach their fullest potential through creativity and imagination.
The charity provides a home-away-from-home for every child who walks through its doors. It is a safe, nurturing environment that builds confidence, community and a sense of belonging. With over 20,000 participants and 3,000 school workshops delivered to date, many young people tell us that Busy Buttons is their safe place.
Our primary activity is delivering arts programmes for the local community and beyond. Our core objective is to nurture wellbeing, especially for children and young people using the arts to encourage cooperation, communication, imagination and creativity. Through a wide range of creative disciplines, we support people to develop skills, build confidence and self-esteem, and strengthen family relationships through shared participation.
Our story in numbers
Testimonies:
“Busy Buttons provides the space for us to continue meeting every Friday. They give us a private place to share our happiness and unhappiness. I look forward to every meeting. Thank you for providing a safe, welcoming and kind atmosphere that helps us stay positive.”
— Creative Calm NHS Referral
“I have autism, which makes life more difficult for me, including school, but every Wednesday I go to Busy Buttons. They help me like school, but in a different way that works for me. I’m not rushed, I get lots of support, and I like the small group because too much noise upsets me. I love going to Busy Buttons to learn new things and wish I could go every day.”
— A** (10 years old)**
A need to grow
Busy Buttons has supported children and young adults in crisis since 2012, but demand now far exceeds our current capacity. Since Covid, needs linked to emotionally based school avoidance, anxiety and neurodiversity have risen sharply. Families consistently tell us that short-term interventions are no longer enough.
At the same time, parents are seeking safe, screen-free environments that support wellbeing and healthy development, while increasing numbers of young adults, particularly those with disabilities, face barriers to training and employment.
Busy Buttons’ alternative provision, creative programmes, DofE programme and supported employment pilot have demonstrated strong outcomes. To meet this growing need, we must expand our provision, offer permanent placements, increase access to skill-based programmes and scale pathways into employment. This requires a larger, permanent home so no child or young person is left behind.
“She was self-harming, digging holes in her scalp and pulling out her hair due to the stress she was under. She couldn’t sleep, she lost her appetite, suffered panic attacks and was a shadow of her former self… Busy Buttons has been instrumental in putting her back together. A calm and quiet space with a friendly and welcoming attitude was exactly what she needed to feel safe in a place that wasn’t home... She began to show signs of improvement a few weeks after going to the class. She started eating again, then sleeping better.”
-Parent (The young person turned down the initial offer from CAMHS and is now studying in University)
Help us grow a safe, inclusive and supportive space where children and the wider community can access:
1. Skills-based programmes in arts, craft, design and textiles
2. Alternative provision for children facing barriers in school due to SEN, anxiety and EBSA
3. An Directly Licensed Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Centre, to inclusively achieve all sections, including Skills, Volunteering & Expedition
4. A safe, screen-free space supporting wellbeing and creative expression.
5. Internships, work experience and supported employment for 16–25-year-olds, particularly those facing barriers due to SEN or anxiety
6. Regular Creative Calm sessions for women experiencing anxiety and mental health challenges
7. A Community Engagement Arts & Heritage Centre
8. Creative school enrichment programmes
The next milestone of the #Room2Grow Appeal
Busy Buttons recently relocated due to redevelopment and is currently based at St Agnes Church in Windsor. In less than 2 years, the charity has outgrown the premises. A permanent home is essential to continue supporting our community and to offer our most vulnerable children, young people and adults the continuity and familiarity they need to thrive.
In 2026, Busy Buttons must increase fundraising to support:
1. Learning resources
2. Professional staff
3. Facilities for our expanding programmes
4. Inclusive support for volunteers and internships
5. Essential running costs
6. Community-building programmes
7. And most importantly, a permanent home where Busy Buttons can grow and reach more children and families to meet the urgent demand we see every day.
Support the #Room2Grow Appeal
Nominate Busy Buttons as your workplace or organisation’s chosen charity.
Sponsor a programme, activity or resource that directly showcases young talent.
Share your skills or time to support the charity’s mission.
Your donation will directly help create a permanent, safe and creative home for Busy Buttons, ensuring children and young people can continue to access life-changing support, stability and opportunity.
We strongly believe that facing barriers at any point in life does not define a young person’s future. With the right support, they can overcome challenges and grow into valued, contributing members of the community with resilience and empathy.
If you believe in this vision, please donate today and help bring the future of Busy Buttons to life.
Help raise awareness by sharing Busy Buttons with your networks and friends.
Let’s Work Together
Registered Address:
Busy Buttons CORE charity
Studio 62, 24-28 St Leonards Road,
Windsor , Berkshire SL4 3BB
Email: community@busybuttons.org
Tel: +44 (0) 7952 418 212
