At Ignite Life, we believe one young person falling through the gaps is one too many.
Every young person deserves the support, relationships and opportunities they need to thrive. But the right help is not always available when it is needed. Support can stop, waiting lists can be long, costs can put help out of reach. And services do not always fit the reality of people’s lives.
Ignite Life began with people who knew young people and understood the difference a trusted adult could make.
They saw young people building confidence and stability through mentoring during term time, only for the support to stop when the school holidays began.
Six weeks without that relationship, structure and encouragement could undo much of what had been achieved.
We knew there had to be a way to keep that support going. Ignite Life was created in 2019 to make it possible.
And that was only the beginning.
Holiday mentoring gave young people continuity, trusted relationships and opportunities they might not otherwise have experienced.
On one of Ignite’s first trips, six young people were waiting at a motorway service station when the original camping arrangements fell through. Cancelling would have meant six disappointed young people and families who had put their trust in us. So we borrowed tents, found another campsite and made the trip happen.
It is a simple story, but it captures something important about Ignite Life: when the expected route closes, we look for another way.
During lockdown, one young person known to Ignite was struggling with bereavement, difficult circumstances at home and his mental health.
He had missed counselling appointments and been removed from the waiting list. Other services had long waits or did not feel right for him. He was crying out for help, but the right support wasn’t there.
So we asked: why couldn’t we provide counselling differently in a safe, approachable space shaped around the young person?
That question became Ignite Life’s counselling service.
During the pandemic, food vouchers were announced for families struggling to afford essentials.
But our founder Wayne immediately thought of parents he knew who would find it almost impossible to queue outside supermarkets with children who had complex needs.
The proposed solution did not fit the reality of their lives. So Ignite raised money, bought food and delivered it directly.
What began as an immediate response grew into the community food support we provide today: accessible without a referral and shaped around the people who use it.
Young people and families rarely face one challenge in isolation. Poverty, mental health and disrupted education can overlap, each making the others harder.
Poverty affects far more than a family’s finances. It can influence physical and mental health, relationships, education and people’s ability to participate in community life.
Our accessible food support helps ease the immediate pressure, creating more space for families to focus on their wider wellbeing.
Not every young person gets the support they need to flourish in mainstream education. Exclusion, disrupted learning and difficult circumstances can leave young people disconnected from education, employment and possibility.
Consistent relationships and new experiences can help them build confidence, develop skills and see a way forward.
Long waiting lists, cost, stigma and services that don’t feel right can prevent young people from accessing mental health support.
A safe, approachable and person-centred space can help young people explore difficult experiences and develop the tools to face future challenges.
Mentoring, counselling and food support may look like different services, but they have grown from the same instinct.
We listen to what young people, families and our community are experiencing. We respond to the needs and barriers we encounter. And when existing systems don’t fit, we look for a practical way forward.
Our services provide different kinds of help, united by one commitment: making sure young people and families can access the support they need to move forward and thrive.
Ignite Life is rooted in Kingswood and Staple Hill and shaped by the young people, families and communities around us.
Being local helps us build trusted relationships, understand the barriers people face and respond as needs change. From this strong local base, we want our support and partnerships to ripple out across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
We will keep listening, learning and following the need.
Whether you’re looking for support, want to refer a young person or would like to help make our work possible, we’d love to hear from you.
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