Funded by the Active Essex Foundation — Sport & Youth Mental Health Project
Strong Beneath the Surface
A structured 12-week early intervention programme for young people aged 8–17 with high emotional need.
Strong Beneath the Surface is a grant-funded early intervention programme delivered by Reel Impact Angling at Oak Lakes in Southminster, funded through the Active Essex Foundation. It uses angling as a structured framework for emotional regulation, focus, confidence and connection. This is not a leisure activity. It is a purposeful, outcomes-tracked programme delivered by a qualified Angling Trust coach from Reel Impact Angling, designed for young people who are struggling before they reach the threshold for specialist services.
Who this programme is for
- Young people aged 8–17
- Awaiting an EHCP outcome, on a waiting list, or without a diagnosis but with clear emotional need
- Experiencing school avoidance, anxiety, low mood, or emotional dysregulation
- Unable to access mainstream group settings comfortably
- Not currently in crisis or requiring specialist statutory services
How sessions run
Sessions run one-to-one with our Angling Trust Level 2 qualified lead coach. Delivery is fortnightly across 12 weeks, six sessions in total, on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, in a slot allocated at intake. Each session lasts two hours. The programme pauses for one week from 30 July for our scheduled summer break, then resumes without disruption to the arc of the programme. All equipment is provided. Nothing needs to be bought, prepared or brought by the young person or family other than weather-appropriate clothing, a drink and a snack.
Programme length
Number of sessions
Session length
Delivery days
Scheduled break
Ratio
Location
Lead coach
Cost to family
Outcomes measurement
12 weeks
6 fortnightly sessions
2 hours
Wednesday, Thursday or Friday
7-day pause from 30 July
1:1
Oak Lakes, Southminster
Bradley Storey
£0 (Grant-funded)
SWEMWBS metrics
Our approach
Our sessions prioritise calm, predictability, sensory balance and relational trust before any expectation of focus or performance. A regulated nervous system learns better. From that foundation, we build:
- Sustained attention — developed through interest, not force
- Emotional recovery — young people learn to pause, adapt and continue instead of shutting down
- Confidence without pressure — no grades, no comparison, no masking
- Presence — a slower, quieter environment where anxiety can decompress
This is mindfulness through experience, not instruction.
Many young people we work with are struggling because their nervous systems are overloaded. Traditional environments demand regulation before support; we work the other way round.
Outcomes and reporting
Every young person completes a SWEMWBS (Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale) assessment at the start and end of the programme. Families receive a written summary at completion covering attendance, engagement and distance travelled. Anonymised outcome data is reported to the Active Essex Foundation as part of standard funder reporting.
GOVERNANCE & SAFEGUARDING
Commissioned and quality-assured by The Essex Hub CIC. Delivered by our commissioned delivery partner Reel Impact Angling Ltd. Angling Trust Level 2 qualified lead practitioner. Enhanced DBS. Full public liability and professional indemnity insurance. Documented safeguarding policy. Named Designated Safeguarding Lead: Lisa Fawcett, Founder & Director. SWEMWBS pre- and post-programme.
Programme funder
Active Essex Foundation — Sport & Youth Mental Health Project