Vera Diakonov

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 AllKind, 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.