Hull Museums and Phoenix Families CIC nominated for regional partnership award
The nomination recognises the Tree Babies and Tots programme, now known as Together in Nature, which supports parental wellbeing through nature-based sessions.
Hull Museums and Phoenix Families CIC have been nominated for a regional award recognising their work to support families and parental wellbeing.
The two organisations have been shortlisted for the Partnership of the Year Award at the 2026 HEY Smile Awards.
The nomination celebrates their partnership programme Tree Babies and Tots, which is now known as Together in Nature.
The sessions have been running in the Museum Gardens since 2021, making use of the outdoor spaces around the museums, as well as the museum buildings during wet weather.
Unlike many parent and baby or toddler groups, the programme places a particular focus on parental mental health, while also offering activities for the whole family.
Families taking part in the sessions are invited to join nature-based creative and mindful activities, as well as having time to talk, share a drink and build connections with others.
Organisers say the group has helped participants form strong friendships and has become a regular part of museum life.
The sessions are now continuing under the new name Together in Nature and have recently received funding from NHS Health Stars to support their ongoing work at the museums.
The programme has also attracted interest from the University of York Family Wellbeing Team, which has worked with the team to carry out research that has recently been published.
Feedback from participants has been consistently positive, with parents continuing to bring their children up to school age. Some families regularly travel from as far away as Hornsea to attend, while others have gone on to build friendships outside the sessions, including arranging camping trips together.
Esther Hallberg, Access and Inclusion Manager for Hull Museums, said the partnership with Phoenix Families CIC had helped create a welcoming and supportive environment.
She said: “We have built a lovely relationship with Louise and Vicky at Phoenix Families CIC, which contributes in a significant way to the welcoming atmosphere of the session.
“The Front of House staff at Streetlife Museum are so supportive of the session and have really bought into the ethos.
“For the museums, it is also a completely different way of programming our sites, making use of outdoor space in a time when this has become so much more important to people and their wellbeing.
“The sessions themselves are so well planned and ran in such an empathetic and encouraging way which is proven by participants coming back time and time again.
“We know from observations that these families are meeting at the museums even when the sessions aren’t on and have built up a confidence in visiting our sites independently.”
Louise Savage, of Phoenix Families CIC, said the nomination was a proud moment for the partnership.
She said: “Our partnership with the museums is truly special and we’ve built a strong, collaborative relationship that continues to grow.
“We feel incredibly privileged to be recognised for the work we’ve achieved together in creating a safe, welcoming space for parents.
“We know that many parents of young children can feel isolated and our aim has always been to offer somewhere they can slow down, reconnect, and feel genuinely supported.”
The other nominees in the Partnership of the Year category are Artlink Hull and Sight Support for SocialEYES Creative Connections, and Catzero & Sewell Group.
The HEY Charity Awards Ceremony, run by the HEY Smile Foundation, will take place on Thursday, 21 May.