02 Feb 2026
In autumn 2025, St Andrew’s welcomed Vera, a new Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner, into our team. This full‑time role, commissioned through the mental‑health charity WCL MIND, focuses on supporting the wellbeing of the young people who come to the Club. Since the COVID pandemic, we’ve seen a growing number of children and teenagers experiencing low mood, anxiety and difficulties with emotional regulation, making this support more important than ever.
By integrating a wellbeing practitioner into everyday Club life, we hope to make conversations about mental health feel natural and accessible. It helps reduce stigma, creates safe spaces for young people to open up, and ensures they know where to turn when they need help.
Vera works both within the Club and out in the community. They deliver group workshops and one‑to‑one sessions, giving young people at St Andrew’s the tools to understand and support their own mental health. Vera also partners with local primary and secondary schools, with a particular focus on those preparing for or adjusting to the transition to secondary school — a move that can bring extra challenges and uncertainty for many young people. For those who need more specialist support, Vera works closely with MIND to help ensure they can access the right care.
Speaking about their work, Vera says:
“Promoting positive wellbeing for children and young people is more important than ever – pressures of school, navigating friendships and social media can be tough. I understand that life can sometimes feel challenging, and I’m here to give young people and families at the Club someone to talk to and to provide additional support if needed.”
We are delighted to have Vera as part of the St Andrew’s team, and we know their role will make a meaningful difference to the lives of the young people we support.
This work has been made possible thanks to the generous contributions of Westminster Abbey, John Lyon’s Charity, and Westminster City Council, whose funding has enabled us to offer this vital service.
