ABOUT US
Who are we?
WayMaker is a not-for-profit social enterprise based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, supporting children, families, schools and professionals.
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to feel safe, understood and supported to thrive. Our team brings together therapeutic, sensory and developmental approaches, looking beyond behaviour to understand the whole child and what may be happening underneath.
As a social enterprise, our purpose goes beyond providing services. We are committed to making high-quality, specialist support more accessible to children and families across Northern Ireland, including those who may otherwise face financial barriers.
why?
1 in 5
pupils in Northern Ireland has an identified special educational need.
12.6%
of children and young people in Northern Ireland experience common mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
25% higher
Rates of anxiety and depression among children and young people in Northern Ireland are around 25% higher than in other UK nations.
School attendance matters
Persistent absence and disengagement remain significant concerns, with current NI education initiatives specifically identifying the need to address the underlying causes of non-attendance.
Behind every statistic is a child.
At WayMaker, we believe early, individualised support can change the path ahead helping children feel understood, supported and safer to learn, grow and thrive.
Early Support Can Make a Difference
When children receive the right support early, we have an opportunity to understand
what is happening underneath and help before difficulties become more deeply established.
We believe every child deserves to feel understood, supported and able to
thrive regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
Creating a new pattern, a new path, a new wave
.
Creating a new pattern, a new path, a new wave .
Our mission
Our mission is to help children feel safe, understood and supported to thrive.
We believe every child deserves access to high-quality therapeutic and developmental support, regardless of their circumstances. By looking beyond behaviour and understanding the whole child, we bring together specialist approaches that support emotional wellbeing, development and learning.
Through our work with children, families, schools and professionals, we aim to create stronger foundations and new possibilities for children across Northern Ireland.
Founder
Eileen Russell
WayMaker was founded by Eileen Russell, a Play Therapist and Clinical Director with over two decades of experience working with children and families.
Eileen’s passion for early support is deeply personal. Growing up with a parent who experienced significant mental health difficulties gave her an understanding of how challenges within a family can shape a child’s world — and how important it is for children to have somewhere safe to be understood and supported.
After many years working with children and families in the public sector, Eileen retrained as a Play Therapist and began providing therapeutic support in 2018. She quickly saw the growing gap between families recognising that their child needed help and being able to access the right support.
That experience led to the creation of WayMaker, a not-for-profit organisation built around a simple belief: children should not have to reach crisis before they receive support.
Today, Eileen leads a specialist multidisciplinary team supporting children, families, schools and professionals across Northern Ireland, with a shared commitment to looking beyond behaviour, understanding the whole child and helping create a more hopeful path forward.
THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS
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THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS x
