Building Wellbeing Communities for Kids & Families

Ashley is joined by Neil Lewis (The Empathy Coach) and Becky Percival (Rebecca Percival Coaching), the co-founders of the Warrington Wellbeing Festival, for a warm, inspiring conversation about why community wellbeing matters, what it means to future-proof our children, and why they’ve built something truly special in the heart of Warrington.

From humble beginnings pulled together in just eight weeks, the festival is now heading into its fourth year, and this year The Resilient Kid team will be there running the Kids Tent and Teen Tent.

In This Episode We Cover

• How Neil and Becky met, spoiler: it involves a mutual school friend and a lot of cups of tea, and why they decided to create the festival.
• What “wellbeing for all” actually means in practice, including keeping tickets affordable for families.
• Why kids and teens get in free, and the thinking behind that decision.
• The organic community of “Wellbeing Warriors” that has grown to nearly 300 local businesses.
• Real stories of lives changed at the festival, from a woman who discovered her calling as a wellbeing practitioner, to a friend who turned up for an hour and stayed all day.
• What families, teens, and kids can expect on the day, from taster sessions to market stalls to specialist talks.
• The stats on children’s mental health in the UK, and why children’s mental health is a community issue, not just a clinical one.
• A brand-new addition this year: Family Pot sessions, a facilitated workshop for the whole family running in both the Kids and Teen Tents.

About Our Guests

Becky Percival is a self-development and mindfulness coach, mental health first aid instructor, and co-founder of the Warrington Wellbeing Festival. She also works three days a week for the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project. Mum of two. Proud to be the “unpolished coach.”

?? Rebecca Percival Coaching

Neil Lewis is The Empathy Coach. Neil specialises in empathy and empathic practice, working with individuals, couples, families, and organisations. His work spans learning, coaching, and consultancy, with a grounding in personal wellbeing and spiritual practice.

?? The Empathy Coach

The Warrington Wellbeing Festival 2025 Details

?? Date: Saturday, 11th July 2025
?? Time: 10am – 4pm
?? Venue: The Engine Rooms, Birchwood Park, Warrington

Tickets: £15 pre-booked | £20 on the day
?? Under 18s: FREE

What to Expect on the Day

• 50+ sessions, talks, and demos across five different spaces.
• A marketplace featuring coaches, counsellors, Reiki practitioners, nutritionists, crystal healers, and more.
• Consultant doctors covering physical health topics, including hip and knee pain and spinal health.
• Hypnotherapy, yoga, chakra work, kinetic therapy, and mental health support.
• Food and drink on site.
• A beautiful lake and grounds at The Engine Rooms.
• The Kids Tent and Teen Tent, run by The Resilient Kid team, with sessions on anxiety, confidence, the inner critic, friendships, and more.
• Family Pot sessions, a free facilitated family wellbeing workshop.

Tip from Neil and Becky: Check the programme before you arrive. With 50+ things on, a bit of planning goes a long way.

Follow the Warrington Wellbeing Festival

?? Instagram & Facebook: @WarringtonWellbeingFestival

?? Website: Warrington Wellbeing Festival

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Family Pot — listen to the dedicated episode on how to run a Family Pot with your kids.
• The Brianna Ghey Legacy Project — briannagheylegacyproject.org
• Happy Place Festival — mentioned as a point of comparison for festival value.

Quote of the Episode

“Resilience doesn’t build in isolation. It grows in community, and it grows when people show up and create spaces where families can be seen, heard, and supported.” — Ashley

A Note from Ashley

This episode genuinely moved me. What Neil and Becky have built isn’t just a festival, it’s a movement. At a time when so many children in the UK are struggling with their mental health, having community spaces like this isn’t a luxury. It’s essential.

We are so proud to be part of the Warrington Wellbeing Festival this year. Come and find us in the Kids Tent and the Teen Tent. We cannot wait to meet you.

See you on the 11th.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review, share it with a fellow parent, and subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Resilient Kid.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and Guests
01:07 Becca Introduction
02:35 Neil Introduction
04:01 Shared Values
05:20 Festival Origin Story
08:25 Early Growth and Venue
12:00 Community and Access
16:13 Festival Day Experience
22:32 Kids and Teens Focus
24:07 Why Youth Wellbeing Matters
25:36 Why We Must Act
25:58 Festival Moments That Matter
27:11 Polly Finds Her Calling
28:28 Lynn Stays All Day
30:05 What Excites Us This Year
33:01 Kids and Teens Tents
35:29 Helping Kids Open Up
37:27 Family Pot Sessions
43:15 Accessible Tickets and Value
45:39 Event Details and Thanks
48:11 Resilience Through Community

Join the Conversation

Has this episode brought something up for you? Are you a professional who has sat with a young person and wondered how to reach them? Or someone who has been that young person, the one with the wall up, and found someone who stayed anyway?

We would love to hear from you.

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/dXs9w0LQstM 

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/49VvkIsbDR3prl6b4vVvMg?si=mPVV6lHCSS2TyVWX2G6kZg 

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Find out more & Links:

• An Educator's Guide to Raising Resilient Learners (Waitlist): https://theresilienthub.co.uk/educators-guide-waitlist

• The Resilient School training and consultancy: https://theresilientschool.co.uk/trs-services

• A Parents' Guide to Raising a Resilient Kid: https://amzn.eu/d/0196zmiI

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• Main website: https://theresilienthub.co.uk/

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The Resilient Kid Podcast is produced by Chantelle Venter at maddatu.com on behalf of The Resilient People, trading as The Resilient Kid, The Resilient Teen and The Resilient School.