As we come to the end of another academic year, we want to thank you for your incredible support and generosity which has meant many young lives have been positively changed through our work. So far in 2025 there have been lots of brilliant events and changes that we are excited to fill you in on.
One sad change, however, was that Katie Payne left Life & Soul at the end of the Autumn Term. Katie worked for L&S for many years and was involved in so many different areas, from the homeless shelter to Relationship and Sex Education lessons in secondary schools. More recently she had been delivering Life Without Limits in primary schools.
We are so grateful to Katie for all she has given over the years. Her hard work, big heart and enthusiasm (we could go on and on) will be sorely missed. We wish her all the best as she focuses on teaching in primary schools.
WE ARE EXPANDING!
Four years ago, we were working in three local secondary schools, we are now working in seven! Excitingy, we have just had an eighth secondary school enquire about us working in their school too.
Four years ago, we were working in two primary schools per term, we are now working in five schools each term with our team expanding from two people to nine.
The demand for our help is growing. Please do consider supporting us to increase the number of young people we can reach with our Connect mentoring and Life Without Limits courses, by either volunteering with us or by making a donation.
New Connect Mentoring Programme
At the end of March, we launched our new and improved Connect Programme. The aim was to take the resources we already have and make them more solution focused whilst allowing greater flexibility for mentors to respond to the issues their mentees are bringing. The feedback from the mentors has been incredibly positive.
One mentor said, “I love the new resource set given to us by Life & Soul. It’s simple and easy to use, which is important for the smooth running of sessions. It looks beautiful too – which dovetails with our intention of providing care and comfort to our students.”
Another said, “The resources provide both generic support for helping students find their own solutions, as well as bespoke materials targeted at common issues such as anxiety, anger, friendship difficulties and bullying.”
MENTORS DROP IN
Ali is loving meeting up with Connect mentors on a Wednesday afternoon at our new Drop-Ins. These are for mentors who want to get some advice or input into how to make progress with a mentee or who just fancy having a chat about their sessions. They are proving very popular and we love the chance to see our mentors.
Community Wellness Day
We had a great time at the Community Wellness Day organised by Mental Health Resource and The Counselling Centre at the Old Auction House. It was great to chat to lots of people about the work that we do, as well as hear about other amazing charities and all the incredible work they do.
We were also given the opportunity to do a workshop during the day. Angie and Heather did a fantastic job teaching a room full of adults how to have healthy and productive conversations with teenagers.
DEVON SATELLITE
In September, we will be launching a satellite of Connect Mentoring in Devon. Working with ICE Ilfracombe, we will train and supervise their mentors and provide them with all the resources they need to effectively mentor and support their local young people in the same way that we do here in Tunbridge Wells.
Case Study
I saw a year 7 boy who was really struggling with school and on the verge of becoming a school refuser as his absenteeism was increasing and his parents admitted struggling to get him to school. He was very emotional and upset in our first session as he was finding the move from primary to secondary school overwhelming and felt it was all too much.
Using the Solution Focus principle that it is never all bad we focused on things that were good / ok for him and over a couple of weeks he realised there were lessons and teachers he did like and was good at, that he had made some good friendships, that there were places he could go if he needed quiet at school, that he enjoyed a few extra curricular clubs etc and gradually his mindset shifted to see all that he had done and was doing to settle in. After our 6 weeks he admitted he felt totally different and was actually enjoying school and looking forward positively to all secondary had to offer.
Mental Health Tip
Being a mental health charity, we wanted to share with you some great tips to help improve ones mental health, here’s one for today:
As the mornings are lighter and warmer, take the opportunity to step outside first thing, maybe even try barefoot. Wander around your garden or along your road and enjoy the peace and the earth beneath you. Breathe slowly and deeply and notice what you can feel with your senses.
