The Kindling Space

The Kindling Space is a new project in development, with support from the Oasis Foundation.

The Kindling Space will offer coaching, workshops, training and retreats to young adults and the professionals who work with them. We will partner with U.K. organisations that offer services to young adults facing complex challenges such as leaving care, homelessness, mental ill-health and significant discrimination/exclusion. The Kindling Space will empower participants to identify and use tailored tools and strategies for trauma and burnout recovery, self-advocacy, and peer support. In a context of services being asked to do more with less, and barriers to young people’s ability to thrive, this foundational work will support sustainable services and real life change.

What We Offer

The Kindling Space is a partnership project providing specialist, psychologically informed support for young adults and the people and organisations who walk alongside them.

We bring together strengths‑based coaching, trauma‑informed practice, and participant‑led programme design to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, safe and valued, and are equipped to navigate complex systems and challenging circumstances.

Our Approach

We design and deliver support that is:

• Strengths‑based and participant‑led

  We recognise existing skills, wisdom and resilience, and build from what is already working in people’s lives, rather than starting from deficits or problems.

• Psychologically informed and trauma‑aware

  We pay close attention to how trauma, stress and adversity shape behaviour and relationships, and we work to create environments that promote safety, dignity, choice and meaningful connection.

• Focused on self‑advocacy and courageous communication

  We support people to find their voice, set boundaries, communicate needs and participate more confidently in decisions that affect their lives.

• Rooted in relational and reflective practice

  We see trusting, collaborative relationships as the foundation for change. Our spaces prioritise time to reflect, integrate learning and translate insight into realistic action.

• Committed to collective care and sustainable capacity

  We work with individuals, teams and communities to notice early signs of burnout and vicarious trauma, and to build practices that protect capacity and allow people to keep doing the work they care about.

What this support involves

• Developing tailored strategies and tools that support resilience, trauma recovery, healthy connection with self and others, and self‑advocacy skills.

• Building self‑awareness and reflection skills as a basis for accessing the right resources and support, developing positive relationships and achieving meaningful goals.

• Growing courageous communication and boundary‑setting, to strengthen relationships, communities and teams, and support a healthy balance between tending to own and others’ needs.

• Addressing burnout and vicarious trauma by creating space to recognise impact, process experiences and develop sustainable ways of working.

• Creating supportive, inclusive community spaces where participants can experience belonging, mutual support and shared learning.

Parallel Offer for Organisations and Young Adults

The Kindling Space offers a wraparound model for organisations working with young adult service users, alongside the professionals who support them. This can include:

• Coaching and reflective spaces

• Group work, workshops, training and retreats

• Joint or parallel sessions that strengthen collaboration between young adults, practitioners and services

The aim is to:

• Protect and sustain organisational capacity, especially in teams under pressure

• Reduce burnout and staff turnover

• Support dedicated professionals to offer their best work while maintaining wellbeing

• Directly equip young adults with tools and relationships that help them navigate challenging circumstances and influence the services around them

Please contact me for more information/to discuss partnership opportunities.

With thanks to The Kindling Space advisory group: Sam Anderson, Dr Denise Borland, Ali Bell, Suzanne Campbell

And to the Oasis Foundation