Our vision is that all young people, wherever they are, have access to an adult who can champion them. We strive to equip all youth practitioners, regardless of setting, to be the champions that young people need today.

Our values

  • Positive relationships are integral to effective youth engagement. The quality of the connections we build with the young people and professionals we work with, dictate our direction of travel.

  • We work with the young people of TODAY. We must acknowledge current influences, play close attention to trends/popular thought and most importantly meet them where they are. If young people cannot see our relevancy, our ability to be impactful will become an impossible task.

  • We believe that reflective practice allows for a more adaptive approach when engaging both young people and practitioners. True reflection challenges us all to both be and do better within our spaces.

  • We believe that when the efforts of the network of professionals around a young person are aligned, improved outcomes can be achieved.

  • We believe that all young people and those that work with them, have the capacity to change. Change begins will acknowledging that we all have things to learn. Let us all learn and grow together.

The Village Approach

The Wethnk village approach acknowledges that everyone around a young person can champion them in some way and make a positive impact. It recognises the many influences that can help or hinder a young person’s chances to achieving their maximum potential, whilst heeding to the voices of young people as they articulate their own wants, aspirations and challenges.

Wethnk's work is for every young person — but we are particularly committed to those who need us most. Young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, those at risk of exclusion or disengagement, those in alternative provision, those carrying the weight of adverse childhood experiences, and those who have been failed by systems that weren't equipped to reach them. The Village Approach exists because these young people don't need another programme — they need a practitioner who shows up consistently, who understands their context, and who refuses to give up on them.

Matthew's commitment to young people is rooted in his Christian faith — in the belief that every person is made for purpose, deserves to be championed, and has the capacity to change. That foundation does not limit who Wethnk works with. It strengthens how Matthew works with everyone. It is why he shows up fully, why he invests genuinely, and why building the village around young people is not just a professional model for him — it is a calling.