Camp Simcha and The Treehouse at Number 9 have been quietly working together for some time.
Our Treehouse at Number 9 world has been growing since 2008 and began life as stories created by me. I am Sara Jackson, a TV Executive, who was forced to navigate the world of difference when my second lovely son was diagnosed with a rare condition. I took these new stories and characters, our Genies, to my friend and graphic designer Karen Shooter, who brought them to life and created our world.
In 2010 I started to emerge from the hospital gloom and between then and 2014, when we excitedly launched our musical story e-book on the App store, Karen and I began to see real possibility for this brand.
In 2016 we were there to help Mel Cohen after her daughter Jess became ill and was subsequently diagnosed with a rare condition. As Jess grew stronger she started to create characters for us and Camp Simcha became aware of the work we were doing. Thanks to Mel and her Family Liaison Officer, and Jessica and our brand new Genies characters, we started to talk about how we could help one another. Mel came on board as another branch of our Treehouse family, and with Daniel Gillis, Head of Services at Camp Simcha, guiding us forwards we connected with Daniella – a Camp Simcha Family Liaison Officer. She saw our school literacy sessions built around our characters, to help kids discuss difference. With materials designed by us she continues to take these sessions into schools in Barnet to highlight the work done by Camp Simcha.
Taking seed beneath this growing partnership was the realisation that through Camp Simcha’s connections with hospital and schools, that we could realise the original dream that inspired the stories. That mums like me and babies like I had might open a book like this, in their endless wait for appointments, and see something celebratory around the world of difference. Mel reminded us of this and with that our latest journey began. With the support of the Cecil Rosen Trust and our continued partnership with Camp Simcha, we find ourselves about to launch our first hardback books in the series.
This partnership, like our Genies, is the perfect example of when the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
We are excited to see where it can take us next.
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