Quiet Endings, Lasting Growth Reflections from Westminster Academy
“The magic moments for our young people are not always big events with other people there to witness them. They are slow, incremental steps of growth and development that are often overlooked in the day to day.”
As the school year draws to a close, so too does a special chapter for a group of young people who’ve been part of AllChild’s two-year programme at Westminster Academy.
At AllChild, we use the word “endings” to describe the way we mark the close of a young person’s time on our programme. But an ending doesn’t mean the end of their journey with us. Many young people move on to take part in our growing Alumni Network and continue to shape AllChild’s future with their voices.
Still, these endings are a meaningful moment - a chance to pause, reflect, and recognise progress that is often quiet, gradual, and unseen.
Nadia, an AllChild Link Worker, put it beautifully:
“The magic moments for our young people are not always big events with other people there to witness them. They are slow, incremental steps of growth and development that are often overlooked in the day to day.”
Over the past two years, Nadia and her fellow Link Workers have walked alongside children and families through challenge and change - offering calm, consistency, and care even in the toughest moments.
At a recent celebration at Oasis Farm, Nadia joined six girls who started the programme unsure and withdrawn. Now, sitting together in reflection, they each shared something positive they’d noticed in another person in the group. Their words were honest, thoughtful, and deeply moving.
“I was struck not only with emotion, but pride,” Nadia said. “Pride in them - and pride in what we do.”
That’s the power of relational support. Quiet growth, built over time, that leads to young people feeling seen, heard, and proud of who they’re becoming.
To every young person who trusted the process - thank you.
To every Link Worker who held space with care - thank you.
To every school and partner who made it possible - thank you.
These endings matter. And the journey doesn’t stop here.
