From Reflection to Resilience: Supporting Young People Through the Pandemic’s Legacy
On 8 March, communities across the UK will pause to mark the COVID-19 Day of Reflection, a moment to remember those we lost during the pandemic and to reflect on how it shaped our lives, our communities, and the wellbeing of young people.
For everyone at Together As One, the pandemic is not a distant memory. It was a period of significant challenge and change, but also one that revealed the strength, compassion, and resilience of the young people and volunteers we work with every day. As we take time to reflect, we are also exploring how youth organisations can support young people in processing their experiences and building positive wellbeing for the future.
Supporting young people to reflect
The National Youth Agency has recently released a new wellbeing resource for youth workers called Express & Reflect. The toolkit is designed to help youth organisations create safe, supportive spaces where young people can talk about their experiences of the pandemic and explore how it affected them.
Rather than focusing only on remembrance, the toolkit encourages young people to express their thoughts and feelings through conversation, creativity, and shared reflection. Activities might include storytelling, discussion, creative exercises, or group reflection – all designed to help young people process what they experienced and build emotional resilience.
The Five Ways to Wellbeing
Many of the ideas within the toolkit align closely with the Five Ways to Wellbeing, a simple but powerful framework that encourages people to take small daily actions to support mental health.
The five actions are:
-
Connect – building relationships and spending time with others
-
Be Active – keeping physically active in ways that feel enjoyable
-
Take Notice – being mindful of the present moment and the world around us
-
Keep Learning – trying new things and developing skills
-
Give – supporting others and contributing to the community
These principles are a huge part of how we approach youth work at Together As One. By creating opportunities for connection, learning, volunteering, and personal development, we aim to help young people build confidence, resilience, and positive wellbeing.
Looking back on the pandemic
During the pandemic, our community demonstrated these values in action.
Our young volunteers played an incredible role supporting local vaccination centres. From welcoming visitors to assisting staff, they stepped forward to help at a time when communities needed support the most. Their willingness to give their time and energy was a powerful example of young people making a difference.
At the same time, Together As One worked hard to ensure that youth activities continued wherever possible, providing young people with opportunities to stay connected during a period of isolation and uncertainty.
One area that became especially important during this time was our young carers sessions. As families faced new pressures and caring responsibilities increased, these sessions provided a vital space where young carers could meet others who understood their experiences, share their challenges, and simply take time for themselves. Since then, the group has continued to grow and go from strength to strength.
Why reflection matters
Taking time to reflect on the pandemic on 8 March is important not only to remember what happened, but also to recognise how communities came together in response.
For young people in particular, reflecting on their experiences can help them better understand the challenges they faced and the strengths they developed along the way. By using approaches such as those in the NYA toolkit, and by continuing to centre wellbeing in youth work, organisations can support young people to process their experiences while building confidence for the future.
Moving forward together
The COVID-19 pandemic will always be part of our shared history. For Together As One, it is also a reminder of the incredible dedication shown by our volunteers, staff, and young people during a time of national challenge.
As we mark the Day of Reflection on 8 March, we remember those we lost, recognise the resilience shown by our communities, and continue working together to support the wellbeing of young people today and in the years ahead.