A new learning and wellbeing centre in Overton has been recognised as a finalist in the Small Business Awards 2026, just months after opening its doors.
The Haven, based at Shire House in Overton, has been shortlisted for the prestigious award in recognition of its work supporting children, young people and families through a nurturing and inclusive approach to education and wellbeing.
Founded by Michelle Green, The Haven provides a calm, supportive environment for children and adolescents who may not always thrive in traditional educational settings. The centre supports learners experiencing anxiety, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), SEND-related challenges, neurodivergence, dyslexia, dyscalculia, as well as those who simply benefit from a more personalised approach to learning.
As well as offering small-group maths tuition and tailored learning sessions, The Haven is expanding its services to include parent support, workshops and expert-led seminars focusing on child and adolescent mental health.
Speaking about being named a finalist, founder Michelle Green said: “It has been a huge step to open The Haven, so being recognised as a finalist feels really special — not just for me, but for the families who have trusted and supported the idea from the beginning.”
She added that the recognition reflects the growing need for alternative learning environments that place wellbeing alongside education.
Since opening, The Haven has welcomed families from across the local area seeking a supportive space where children can rebuild confidence, develop academically and feel understood.
The Small Business Awards celebrate organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to their communities through innovation, dedication and exceptional service. Reaching the finals is a significant achievement for any new business, particularly one focused on supporting some of the area’s most vulnerable children and families.
We spoke to The Haven’s founder, Michelle Green, to find out more about the inspiration behind the centre, the challenges of launching a new business and her hopes for the future.
First of all, congratulations on being named a finalist in the Small Business Awards 2026. How did it feel when you found out the news?
Thank you. It honestly felt amazing, but also quite emotional. The Haven is still very new, so to be recognised at this stage means a lot. When you start something like this, you put so much of yourself into it, and there are plenty of moments where you wonder if you are doing the right thing or whether people will understand the vision. Being named a finalist felt like a little moment of reassurance that The Haven matters, not just to me, but to the families who have supported it from the beginning.
For people who haven’t heard of The Haven before, what is it, and what inspired you to create it?
The Haven is a learning and wellbeing space for children, teenagers and families. It is based in Overton and offers small group learning, one-to-one support, workshops, parent support and wellbeing-focused sessions.
I created The Haven because I could see a real gap for learners who do not always thrive in traditional settings. Some children need something calmer, smaller and more flexible. Some need learning to be rebuilt gently after anxiety, low confidence or difficult school experiences. Others are neurodivergent, have SEND needs, or simply need adults around them who understand that learning cannot happen if a child does not feel safe first.
The inspiration really came from my experience as a teacher, a tutor and a parent. I wanted to create somewhere that felt different from walking into a classroom or a clinic. Somewhere families could feel understood, not judged.
The Haven is described as a learning and wellbeing space. What makes it different from a traditional tutoring centre or classroom?
The Haven is not about putting more pressure on children. It is not about rushing them through worksheets or expecting every learner to fit the same model.
Everything is small, calm and relational. We look at the whole learner, not just the subject they are struggling with. Confidence, anxiety, sensory needs, communication, self-esteem and emotional safety all matter. For many children, the barrier is not ability. It is that they have lost confidence, become overwhelmed, or started to believe that learning is not for them.
At The Haven, we slow things down. We make learning feel manageable again. The aim is not just academic progress, although that is important. The aim is to help learners feel capable, accepted and safe enough to try.
You work with children and young people who may struggle in mainstream education. What kinds of challenges are they facing when they come to you?
There is a real mix. Some learners are anxious about school. Some are experiencing EBSA, which stands for emotionally based school avoidance. Some have SEND needs, dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism or other forms of neurodivergence. Some are very bright but have completely lost confidence because the school environment has felt too much.
We also see learners who mask all day at school and then fall apart at home. Others may have stopped attending school regularly or are being home educated because the traditional route is not currently working for them.
What they often have in common is that they are not “naughty” or “lazy”. They are usually overwhelmed, misunderstood, anxious, exhausted or trying incredibly hard in a system that does not always fit them.
We hear terms like anxiety, EBSA, SEND and neurodivergence more often these days. How important is it that families have somewhere local they can turn to for support?
It is incredibly important. Families can feel very isolated when their child is struggling, especially if things look fine from the outside. Parents are often trying to hold everything together while also navigating school meetings, waiting lists, assessments, behaviour concerns, attendance worries and their child’s emotional wellbeing.
Having somewhere local matters because support needs to feel accessible. Sometimes families do not need a huge intervention straight away. They need someone to listen, help them make sense of what is happening, and offer practical next steps.
The Haven is not here to replace schools, health services or specialist provision, but it can sit alongside them. It gives families another place to turn, especially when they feel stuck.
The Haven is based right here in Overton. Why was it important to establish it within the local community?
Overton felt like the right place because community is such a big part of what The Haven is about. I did not want to create something that felt distant or clinical. I wanted it to feel rooted in the local area and easy for families to approach.
There are so many families in Overton and the surrounding villages who are trying to find the right support for their children. Being local means people can pop in, ask questions, come to a small group, attend a parent session or just begin a conversation.
I also think small communities have a huge role to play in helping children and families feel less alone. The Haven is about learning, but it is also about belonging.
Opening a new business is never easy. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced since launching The Haven?
The biggest challenge has probably been turning a big vision into something real, practical and sustainable. There are so many moving parts: finding the right space, setting up systems, planning sessions, getting the message out, managing costs and making sure everything is safe and professional.
It is also a very emotional business to build because the work matters so much. Families come to us with real worries, and I take that responsibility seriously.
Another challenge is explaining what The Haven is, because it does not fit neatly into one box. It is not just tutoring. It is not a school. It is not a clinic. It is a calm learning and wellbeing space that brings together education, emotional understanding and family support.
You mentioned that this award recognition is also for the families who’ve supported you from the start. What sort of feedback have you received from parents and young people?
The feedback that means the most is when families say their child feels safe here, or that they have seen their confidence start to come back.
Parents have told me that their child looks forward to coming, that they feel understood, or that they are willing to try things at The Haven that they would normally avoid. That is huge.
For some learners, success might be completing a maths task. For others, it might be walking through the door, speaking in a group, making a mistake without shutting down, or feeling able to say, “I don’t understand.” Those moments matter.
The families who supported The Haven from the beginning have helped shape it. Their trust has meant everything.
As well as learning sessions, you’re now expanding into parent support, workshops and mental health seminars. Can you tell us a bit more about those plans?
Yes. The learning sessions will continue, but we are also developing more support for parents and families. That includes parent coffee mornings, workshops, small group sessions and expert-led seminars.
A lot of parents are trying to support children with anxiety, school avoidance, neurodivergence, emotional distress or low confidence, but they do not always know where to start. We want The Haven to be somewhere they can come for calm, practical support.
We are also looking at creative and project-based workshops for learners, because not every child connects through traditional academic routes. Some children build confidence through stories, making things, problem-solving, discussion, creativity or hands-on projects.
What sort of experts will be involved in those seminars, and what topics do you hope to cover?
We are starting to bring in experienced professionals who can support families in a thoughtful and practical way. For example, Philippa Venn, an experienced child, adolescent and family psychotherapist, is running a seminar for parents around emotional crisis, suicidal thoughts and how to support children who are struggling.
That is a difficult topic, but it is such an important one. The aim is not to frighten parents. It is to help them feel more informed, more confident and less alone.
We hope to cover topics such as anxiety, emotional regulation, self-harm, school avoidance, neurodivergence, parenting under pressure, communication, and how to support children when they are overwhelmed. We want the seminars to be supportive, not judgemental.
If there’s a parent reading this today who feels their child isn’t thriving in a traditional school setting, what would you say to them?
I would say: you are not alone, and your child is not broken.
It can feel incredibly lonely when your child is struggling at school, especially if you feel like everyone else’s child is managing. But many families are dealing with this quietly.
I would also say that behaviour is communication. If a child is refusing school, shutting down, becoming distressed, or saying they cannot cope, there is usually something underneath that needs to be understood.
The answer is not always to push harder. Sometimes the first step is to reduce the pressure, listen carefully and rebuild safety. Children can learn, grow and thrive, but they need the right environment and the right support around them.
Looking ahead, where would you like The Haven to be in a year’s time?
In a year’s time, I would love The Haven to be a well-established part of the local community. I would like families to know that we are here and that they can approach us before things reach crisis point.
I would love to have a wider range of small group learning sessions, more parent support, more workshops and more expert-led seminars. I would also like to build links with schools, professionals and other local organisations, so that families can get joined-up support.
Most of all, I want The Haven to be known as a place where learners feel safe, accepted and capable. Somewhere they can breathe, belong and begin again.
Finally, if people would like to find out more about The Haven, or get in touch, what’s the best way to do that?
The best way is to contact The Haven directly through our Facebook page or send me a message. I am always happy to talk to families about what is going on for their child and whether The Haven might be the right fit.
We are based at Shire House in Overton, and we share updates about groups, workshops, seminars and parent support online.