Introducing Hannah Cotmore!

We are delighted that Hannah Cotmore will be delivering our DAY Programme training! Here she introduces herself, the work she has done and what has led her to join the DAY Programme team.

Hannah Cotmore

With a career spanning mental health services, primary care, and education, my work has always been rooted in supporting children, young people, and families to thrive. But it was my transition into the domestic abuse sector that truly reshaped my perspective and my purpose.

In 2021, I joined the Domestic Violence Intervention Project, contributing to the development of an innovative service supporting families experiencing child-to-parent violence. Working directly with young people, the service helped young people explore healthy relationships and safe communication, conversations that were often long overdue and absent in the narratives of their daily lives. What struck me immediately was not only the depth of need, but the stark lack of accessible, effective resources for those affected by domestic abuse, especially children.

Having completed a master’s degree in child development, I understood just how profoundly early experiences shape the developing brain. Time and again, I saw how societal influences and lived experiences were shaping young people’s understanding of relationships, often in harmful ways. However, in seeing the difference that an intervention can have to young people who were able to access support, I held hope. I had researched the developing brain and understood its potential to learn and create meaningful change when provided with the right tools, information and environment. This highlighted to me a much larger issue, the absence of widespread, educative resource around healthy relationships.

I knew something more was needed, and I started to piece together ideas of ways to help tackle the challenges I was seeing on a daily basis. Then, I met Natalie Collins. In one conversation everything shifted after Natalie introduced me to the DAY Programme; a powerful, thoughtfully designed initiative that was already doing exactly what I had been searching for. Through its dynamic multimedia approach, DAY did more than just teach; it generates conversation, challenges thinking, and creates space for meaningful reflection without requiring personal disclosure, removing a major barrier for many young people.

After completing the training, I saw first-hand the difference it could make. The programme’s flexibility, accessibility, and depth allow it to connect with young people in a way that feels relevant, safe, and impactful. I saw how individuals were able to apply the content of the DAY programme not just to their intimate relationships, but also to their friendships, and see meaningful change that improved their self esteem and confidence, leaving them more empowered.

So, when the opportunity came to join the DAY team, there was only one answer- YES.

I am passionate about the potential of the DAY Programme to transform how the next generation understands relationships. It has the power to reach many individuals who may otherwise be missed by our current systems, to shift narratives, and to build healthier futures.

Its only limitation? Not enough people know about it - yet.

Now, I’m proud to be part of changing that, and I hope you are able to join me on the journey.