the GLAS method for Kids

buddies talk

Colorful cartoon characters with happy facial expressions standing in a line on a green field, with a blue sky and clouds in the background, and the text 'hello there...' written in the center.
Cartoon illustration of a classroom and a table with two children having a conversation about moving to secondary school and their feelings about it. The page contains four panels with colorful backgrounds and speech bubbles.
Comic strip featuring Ella and Joe discussing their feelings, wishes, and how new teachers might help. Ella is a green character with a French flag on her head, and Joe is a yellow character wearing glasses. Conversation bubbles cover topics such as studying French, worries about work, and feeling better after talking.

The Charity

At the age of just 31, in August 2020, Ivan, Celia and Louisa Lyons lost their beloved son and brother, Joe to suicide. A caring, wonderful friend and a talented, award-winning radio producer. He brought a cheeky spirit and constant laughter to all those that met him. His selflessness and commitment to helping others touched so many, and his family are dedicated to carrying this on for him. Set up in the memory and legacy of Joe Lyons, Joe’s Buddy Line is a Registered Charity within England and Wales.

welcome to Buddies Talk

Dani has been working closely with a wonderful charity - Joes Buddy Line - for a number of years. This followed seeing Roman Kemp’s documentary Our Silent Emergency which featured the charity and issues impacting young people’s mental health. Dani captured the documentary which in turn was picked up by the Trustees of the charity. They approached her to help create visuals for young people and school communities. As Dani and her family had also been touched by issues raised in the programme, she was only too happy to help develop visual tools for the charity.

In 2023, the Trustees approached her with a new project - to design and illustrate a book for young people in Key Stage 2 education. Working with child psychologist and author Dr Tina Rae, Dani developed a colourful world of characters The Buddies Talk characters. The work resulted in a book being launched - with all work being done without fee or royalties by Dani and Dr Tina - all proceeds go to Joe’s Buddy Line charity.

Following on from their creation, the Buddies have been developed in a way that helps to engage with young people - and teachers and parents. Her work is all based on the GLAS Method and includes kindness, communication, balance, confidence and clarity.

Buy The Book
Book cover titled "Buddies Talk: Moving from Primary to Secondary Education" featuring colorful animated characters standing in front of a school and a rainbow, with clouds and trees in the background.
Colorful illustrated contents page from a children's book, with cartoon characters and a ladder. The page lists sections with titles and page numbers, surrounding a blue sky with clouds, a red paper airplane, and cartoon character figures of a yellow figure, an orange figure, a green fuzzy character, a purple fuzzy character, and a blue figure.