Climbing for Confidence

There is emerging evidence of the positive effect climbing can have on mental health. Mindfulness, resilience and physical activation are all present in the sport. Climbing forces you to think about the present moment as opposed to reflecting on feelings from the day or stressful thoughts. In addition, it offers social connectivity and opportunities to gain an immediate sense of accomplishment.

‘Climbing for Confidence’ is a climbing programme for years 4 and 5, aimed at children that lack confidence, struggle with relationships / trust and are facing challenges in their life.

The aim is to give children a chance to try a new activity in a different environment, providing a new challenge.

We had 14 schools with nearly 100 children that attended the sessions that we ran in November 2019.

We asked the young people questions before and after the session:

96% children said they were pleased they took part
92% participants said they were proud of something they had done
88% said they felt brave when they were climbing
95% said they would like to climb again