Rapid Reads | 2engage | Newsletter Spring 2025

The 2engage team recently delivered their week-long communication training programme to over 450 nursing students. The training took place in Chester, Birkenhead, and Warrington.

Using our dynamic arts-based approach, students developed and refined key communication skills essential for nursing practice, including active listening, body language, empathy, resilience, confidence, conflict resolution, and more. These interactive sessions also supported students in progressing towards several of their NMC proficiencies.

It was fantastic to witness the students’ growth in confidence and capability throughout the week. We are pleased to share that 98% of participants found the training beneficial to both their academic journey and their professional development as future nurses.

Here’s what some of the students had to say:

“I loved how active and engaging the sessions were—communication can be a dry subject, but this was far from it!”

“It was a boost in confidence, and I got to know my peers better – I also learned how communication can positively impact nursing care.”

“I learned how body language and gestures can completely change the perception of what we communicate.”

“The training improved my ability to build rapport and deliver person-centred care.”

“I’ve learned so much that will shape my future practice. Thank you to all the facilitators!”

You can find out more information about our communication training here.

In March, 2engage partnered with Croydon Council’s Trading Standards team to deliver our Risking It All programme to Year 9 students from secondary schools across the borough. The tour included a special performance at Fairfield Halls, South London’s largest arts centre, bringing vital messages about youth safety to a high-profile local venue.

To ensure the content truly resonated, we consulted with professionals working on the frontline in Croydon — including police officers, youth engagement coordinators, and safeguarding leads — to reflect the real-life challenges faced by young people in the area. We also invited young people themselves to share what they would want others to know about staying safe.

The impact was clear. Feedback from pupils showed:

– 87% reported a better understanding of criminal exploitation and violence
– 79% felt more informed about illegal vaping
– 86% gained knowledge about alcohol and drugs
– 87% had a clearer awareness of how grooming can happen

One teacher said:

“Risking It All” was a fantastic interactive theatre experience for our Year 9 students. They thoroughly enjoyed the session and found it both engaging and thought-provoking. The experience effectively enhanced their understanding of exploitation and its risks, helping to improve their awareness in a meaningful way.”

Since November, 2engage has been working in collaboration with Bluestones Medical Complex Care to deliver a series of engaging, interactive sessions for care-experienced young people and care leavers. These sessions are part of the Greenhouse alternative education provision, designed to support personal development and essential life skills in a safe and supportive environment.

Each two-hour session explores a variety of topics—from fun icebreakers and team-building exercises to deeper discussions around self-awareness and identity. Participants also tackle practical life challenges such as money management, budgeting, peer pressure, and decision-making.

These small group workshops provide a vital space for young people to grow in confidence and build important skills for independent living.

Nyarie Mtandiro, Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing Lead at Bluestones Medical Complex Care, shared her thoughts:

“I just wanted to say thank you for today’s session—I think it went down really well. The young people were engaged, and your delivery made a real impact. Looking forward to working together again soon.”

In February, 2engage, supported by West Berkshire Council, brought back its impactful safeguarding session, Risking It All to West Berkshire.

This session toured secondary schools, and colleges shedding light on the plight of young individuals exploited by criminal gangs and perpetrators. The tour included an evening performance at Arlington Arts Centre which was attended by parents, professionals and home-educated children.

Addressing key topics from the PSHE curriculum such as sexual and criminal exploitation, risk-taking behaviour and substance misuse, the session engages year 9 audiences through theatre and discussion. The session started crucial conversations and received positive feedback from both students and staff.

87% of young people who participated in the ‘Risking It All’ session rated the session as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ (1600+ responses). After watching the performance pupils believed they knew more about being involved in inappropriate relationships (85.1%), social media misuse (80.25%), drug and alcohol misuse (84%) and spotting the signs of grooming (78%).

One teacher commented:

“Risking It All” was a powerful and eye-opening PSHE play that captured the attention of our students. The performance tackled the critical and often uncomfortable topic of grooming and exploitation with sensitivity, yet it remained direct and engaging. The actors brought the story to life in a way that made the students reflect on the real-world dangers and the emotional and psychological impact these situations have on young people.

This play has sparked important conversations within our lessons and has provided our students with the tools to better understand and protect themselves from the dangers of exploitation. It was an invaluable experience for both students and staff alike, and we would highly recommend it to any school looking to address this important issue.”

In January, 2engage spent some time at Buxton and Leek College delivering the Back to Our Future resilience session to students from a range of courses across both the Buxton and Leek campuses.

The interactive session is designed to support students who may be feeling overwhelmed with the pressures that come with student life. The session helps students to identify the things that may be causing them to feel stressed. We give practical advice and strategies to help students manage these feelings.

Students were left feeling empowered to make small changes in their life that will benefit them in the long run.

In December, 2engage gave a presentation and led an interactive workshop at Creative Futures, a three-day event hosted by the University of Chester. This event celebrates creative industries and offers students opportunities to develop new skills and connect with other creatives.

We worked with students from various fields, including Music, Fine Art, Creative Writing and Acting. Our workshop explored applied practices in the creative industries and challenged students to think about what their unique skillset could see them become in the future.