About Hazie Days
Hazie Days was founded in 2014 by Marti Hayes, and aims to create inclusive, positive, fun, and creative experiences for children with additional needs and their families. Marti has both personal and professional experience of disability and additional needs. Marti’s dream was to create a fun environment for the whole family where there is no such word as can’t.
Marti’s Story
Marti Hayes founded Hazie Days in 2014 at the age of 23 . Marti has grown up with chronic medical conditions and anxiety. She has a rare lung disorder, brittle asthma, dyslexia fibromyalgia and anxiety. Marti has experienced multiple medical interventions and operations which have saved her life. She knows first hand what it is like to feel different to her peers and understands what it feels like to be doubted and not be believed in, frequently told she can not achieve her dreams. Proving the doubters wrong Marti graduated from university and learnt to drive. Marti opened Hazie Days to use her experience of having a disability to create an environment where children can build self confidence and self esteem. Marti’s dream is to support children and young people to believe in themselves and be proud of who they are.
What is Hazie Days?
A core principle of Hazie Days is that we welcome the whole family including siblings and extended families. We understand that siblings and other family members such as cousins can be a child with additional needs’ biggest allie but their contribution can also be overlooked.
Hazie Days welcomes children with any additional need from learning disabilities, physical or sensory disabilities, mental health conditions, medical conditions and so much more. We even welcome children awaiting diagnosis or consider SWAN (syndrome without a name). currently supports 50 families across Basingstoke and North Hampshire who have children with any additional needs within their families. Families can self refer to Hazie Days.
What does Hazie Days achieve?
Hazie Days reduces isolation. Marti and the Hazie Days team know first hand that having an additional need or disability can be very isolating for the whole family. For example children with additional needs can feel excluded and left out from their peers and their siblings can feel that their friends and peers do not understand that their home life is different. Being a parent of a child with additional needs can be challenging and isolating but also so rewarding. Hazie Days encourages parents to meet one another in a non judgemental environment and share information, ideas, tips and tricks.
Hazie Days builds self confidence and self esteem. Many Hazie Days families hear from professionals what they can’t do and what they find difficult more than they hear about their strengths and abilities. During sessions such as horse riding and gymnastics we have seen children who would cry and be scared because they didn’t think they could do it. By the end of their session they would be smiling, chatting and laughing.
Hazie Days has a privileged position to meet so many amazing people and learn about so many conditions and experiences. We aim to use our outlets such as the radio show, facebook pages and youtube channel to raise public awareness and champion the great work being done to support families.
Hazie Days is proud to be sponsored by Rosemount Financial Solutions and Care Opportunities