The best way to understand what Rising Minds does is to hear from the people who’ve experienced it
in their own words
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case studies
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testimonials
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in their own words ✳︎ case studies ✳︎ testimonials ✳︎
When young people finish working with Rising Minds, this is what they say:
Case study: From disengaged to motivated in 9 weeks
YEAR 10 | 15-YEAR-OLD STUDENT | 9-WEEK COACHING ENGAGEMENT
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When this Year 10 student was referred, he was disengaged and lacking motivation.
In his own words: “I just don’t see the point.”
He was showing low-level disruption in lessons - not because he was incapable but because he felt disconnected from any real sense of purpose. School felt irrelevant, his confidence was low and his engagement reflected that.
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We didn’t start with behaviour. We started with self-understanding.
In the first few sessions, we explored his strengths, values and what genuinely mattered to him. One theme kept surfacing: cooking.
He spoke about cooking with his grandma. About experimenting with chicken recipes. About taking Food Tech for GCSE. There was energy in his voice that hadn’t been there before.
We went deeper:
What do you love about it?
What kind of environment suits you?
What does it give you that school currently doesn’t?
From there, I connected him with a local entrepreneur who had built a successful food business after travelling in the US and launching his own range of sauces - now stocked by independent restaurants, including a Hull-based company founded by someone who left school at 14 with no GCSEs before being given a chance in a kitchen.
That story mattered. Because suddenly, success looked accessible.
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They met and a conversation turned into an opportunity. He was offered a week of work experience through school with the potential for paid kitchen work beyond that.
But the biggest transformation wasn’t the placement. It was this:
Someone saw him. Someone recognised his potential. And he began to see it too.
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After nine weeks:
His self-rated motivation and engagement increased by 50%
Disruption reduced significantly
He spoke about his future with clarity and direction
Work experience opportunity secured
He left coaching with tangible next steps and real-world opportunities
When we wrapped up our final session, he had a visible spring in his step. He hadn’t just “improved behaviour.” He’d discovered purpose.
This wasn't about fixing a problem. It was about uncovering capacity. And when that happens, the impact extends far beyond the individual.
What parents say
Parent of a 15 year old girl, East Riding:
“I cannot thank Hayley enough for the help she provided to my daughter. A couple of years ago, she was struggling with anxiety related to several health issues. This began to affect her confidence and significantly compounded her health anxiety, leaving her stuck in a vicious cycle that, as her mum, I struggled to see a way out of. The impact on her life was profound and overwhelmingly negative.
Hayley was absolutely fantastic. She immediately made her feel comfortable, heard, and truly understood. She asked questions that I would never have thought to ask and helped her recognise that while her anxieties might not disappear entirely, she could learn how to manage them effectively. Hayley gave her practical tools to cope with the challenges she was facing, empowering her rather than trying to “fix” her.
My daughter genuinely looked forward to her sessions with Hayley and gained so much from each one.
Two years on, she is a completely different girl. She handled her GCSEs incredibly well and even embraced the challenge they presented. She has since started driving lessons and made new friends — changes that once felt impossible. The transformation in her is truly amazing.
While she still experiences occasional struggles, she now applies the advice and tools Hayley taught her with confidence. These strategies have become second nature. She is now a confident, happy young lady who confronts awkward situations with relative ease — something I never thought would have been possible. She is living her life in the way she should be.
We cannot thank Hayley enough for her compassion, understanding, and expertise in supporting such a debilitating condition — one that sadly seems to be becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s world.”
Parent of a 14-year-old boy experiencing family grief:
“Hayley was amazing with my son, helping him get through a very difficult time in our lives. She showed care, compassion and support. Also the card you sent him was such a lovely touch and this takes pride of place on our fridge. Thank you again.”
Every young person's journey looks different. But the same truth runs through all of them: when young people are given the tools and understanding to know themselves, something remarkable happens.
This is what becomes possible when young people are given the understanding, the tools and someone in their corner who genuinely believes in what they're capable of.