Over the weekend, YMCA Fairthorne Group’s Youth Ambassador, Rosie, travelled to Wolverhampton to take part in resilience training at YMCA City Gateway, part of YMCA Black Country Group.The session was led by Rohan Randhawa, founder of Resilience with Rohan, who delivered an inspiring and practical workshop for the Youth Ambassadors.
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The importance of resilience for young people
Resilience is especially important for young people as they navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain world. Many are balancing pressures around education, employment, housing, and mental wellbeing, often while still developing confidence and identity. Having strong resilience skills helps young people manage setbacks, adapt to change, and maintain motivation when faced with obstacles that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
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The impact of the session
The training proved especially valuable, as much of the Youth Ambassador programme involves public speaking, campaigning, representing the YMCA, and navigating challenges and setbacks. The session focused on how adversity can be transformed into personal strength and growth.Throughout the workshop, Rohan shared a range of resilience techniques alongside his own powerful personal story, demonstrating how difficult experiences can be turned into opportunities for resilience and self-development.
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Moving forward with resilience
From a personal perspective, Rosie plans to apply many of these skills in her everyday life, including positive rumination, intentional evening reviews, and moving with purpose. As a young person, Rosie reflected on how increasingly common it is for young people to feel overlooked or powerless, making resilience skills more important than ever.
Resilience is so important for young people. We are constantly facing challenges due to the housing and employment crisis that is affecting young people across the country. It is vital that we have these tools to prevent mental burnout.#
Rosie would also like to share what she learnt with the young people supported by YMCA Fairthorne Group’s Youth Services.
In my work, I see everyday the challenges faced by the young people we support at our charity. I think it would be beneficial to share these skills so they have the tools to cope with being knocked down.
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The value of connecting with other Youth Ambassadors
Rosie also enjoyed spending time with her fellow Youth Ambassadors, including new ambassadors who joined in 2026. Bringing the group together created an inspiring environment to exchange ideas, discuss shared challenges, and openly talk about their common goal: supporting young people to thrive and championing the importance of youth services.
