ECHO’s Opening Doors online resources

8 Dec 2021
News
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At ECHO we are delighted to share our first livestreamed online resource – Opening Doors.

We know that many families affected by CHD have experienced isolation, uncertainty and fear of the unknown – and through Opening Doors we wanted to send a reminder to all families in the ECHO heart community that the doors to medical and community support are still open for you.

In the Opening Doors video resources, you can hear from medical, scientific and ECHO staff about our work supporting children, young people and families affected by CHD, plus the latest research and news, useful information for families and what we are looking forward to in the future together.

How to watch:

Below, you can find the main video plus an extended conversation with each speaker which cover topics important to the ECHO heart community.

Click each speaker’s name to hear from them:

Full Opening Doors video

Message from Samantha Johnson, ECHO's Chief Executive:

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has sadly meant we have had to pause our face-to-face events which is why we decided we needed to put our thinking caps on and create a new way to bring the ECHO community together.

We know how tough it has been for all ECHO families and the medical staff we work alongside, and how important it is to continue to share our experiences and connections. We therefore have been delighted to bring together so many familiar faces from the medical and research arenas to the ECHO community as part of our online Opening Doors resources.

We thank all the speakers who joined the live event with us for sharing their experiences, knowledge and their time. We also thank all the ECHO members who submitted questions in advance.

I am so pleased that even in these uncertain times we have been able to create a space for the ECHO community to come together. We must celebrate that, and the support we can all offer one another, whether that be as families experiencing the heart journey, medical professionals or ECHO staff and volunteers.

If I have learned anything this past 18 months it is how resilient this community is – and how important. Thank you to everyone who took part – and if you haven’t had time to watch it yet please do – you can watch all interviews and the main event on this page or on the Opening Doors YouTube playlist.

Make your own wreath

As part of Opening Doors, Niki from Studio Hoime shared her step-by-step tutorial to making a festive wreath to go on your front door.

You can get the kit list below and check out the video tutorial!

Wreath kit list:

1 x Wreath ring bound with Sphagnum moss
Mossing wire, or mossing string (the string will need to be soaked in water first)
Spruce for the foundation layer (conifer would also work)
Eucalyptus (three springs about 20cm in length)
Berried foliage (three sprigs)
Evergreen foliage (three springs). This could be Elaeagnus, Euonymus, Berried Ivy,
Laurel, Pittosporum.
15 x 9” floristry wires (plus another 13 for the below dried, wired elements)
3 x large Lotus heads (each wired)
6 x dried fruit slices (wired in pairs to make three elements)
3 x cones (each wired)
3 x cinnamon sticks, each wired (wrapped with string to wrap over the exposed wire)
1 metre of ribbon

Your wreath photos

We would love to see your wreath creations – be sure to share them with us on social media by tagging @echoukcharity on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.