The Wellbeing Champions Project

Young People Creating Connection, Courage and Community

Over the past months, the Wellbeing Champions Project has grown into something deeply moving, hopeful and inspiring. What began as an invitation for young people to gather, connect and explore wellbeing together has become a vibrant, youth-led movement of care, creativity and community action.

Funded through the SNG #iwill Fund, the project was created to support young people to develop wellbeing, leadership and facilitation skills, while also giving real support to their ideas, passions and social action projects. At the heart of the programme was a simple but powerful belief: when young people are genuinely listened to, trusted and supported, they are more than capable of creating meaningful change within their communities.

Throughout the project, young people came together through:

• In-person circles, gatherings and mentoring

• Online wellbeing circles

• Retreat and Nature connection experiences

• Facilitation and wellbeing training

• Peer support spaces

• Youth-led community events and projects

Together, we sat around fires, walked through woods, shared stories, cooked, practised listening, explored difficult conversations, supported one another, laughed, planned, created and grew.

What emerged was not just a programme, but a community.

Young People Leading the Way

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Wellbeing Champions Project has been the way young people stepped into leadership with such authenticity, courage and care.

The youth participants designed and facilitated a wide range of projects including:

• Seasonal wellbeing circles

• Neurodivergence and safety circles

• Yoga and massage wellbeing sessions

• Woodcraft and whittling gatherings

• Nature connection and wild cooking 

• Young men’s and young women’s circles

• Peer support spaces focused on emotional wellbeing and belonging

The diversity of projects reflected the diversity of the young people themselves — thoughtful, creative, compassionate and deeply aware of the kinds of spaces they and their peers are supported by.

Many young people who initially arrived with uncertainty  found confidence in speaking, facilitating, organising and leading. Some went on to hold circles for others, coordinate events, support peers through difficult times, and begin imagining future wellbeing initiatives beyond the project itself.

Spaces of Belonging

Again and again, young people spoke about how important it was simply to have spaces where they could be themselves without pressure or judgement. Through regular circles and supportive relationships, participants found opportunities for genuine connection, friendship and belonging.

Young people shared that the project helped them:

• Feel more confident

• Develop leadership and facilitation skills

• Build stronger relationships

• Feel less alone

• Gain practical wellbeing tools

• Feel more connected to community

• Discover that their voices and ideas matter

One participant shared:

“This project helped me feel like I actually had something really valuable to offer.”

Another said:

“I’ve never felt comfortable in groups before, but these circles felt safe and real.”

Nature, Creativity and Wellbeing

A central part of the programme was the understanding that wellbeing is not only about talking, it is also about connection to nature, creativity, movement, play, purpose and community.

Many gatherings took place outdoors around fires, in woodland spaces, on walks, or through hands-on activities like woodcraft and cooking. These experiences offered young people opportunities to slow down, reconnect with themselves and others, and experience wellbeing in embodied and accessible ways.

The project highlighted how powerful nature-connected and peer-led approaches can be in supporting youth mental health and reducing isolation.

Looking Forward

As this funded phase of the Wellbeing Champions Project comes to a close, the impact continues to ripple outward.

Friendships have formed. Confidence has grown. New ideas have emerged. Young people have discovered strengths within themselves and created spaces that genuinely supported others.

We are deeply grateful to every young person who brought their honesty, courage, imagination and care into this project. It has been a privilege to witness what becomes possible when young people are given trust, encouragement and meaningful opportunities to lead.

We also want to thank our facilitators, partners, supporters and the SNG #iwill Fund for helping make this work possible.

The Wellbeing Champions Project may be ending in its current form, but many of the connections, skills, projects and dreams that have emerged through it are only just beginning.