Building confidence, resilience and connection through outdoor activity 

Many of the neurodivergent young people supported by Vibe have faced challenges in mainstream education and may have been out of learning for some time. This can affect confidence, connection and sense of belonging. Vibe offers a supportive environment where young people can rebuild trust in themselves, reconnect with others and develop the resilience and coping strategies they need to move forward.

Vibe is a wellbeing service for neurodivergent young people aged 12–18 who are not in full-time mainstream education and need support to re-engage with learning. Based at our Linlithgow campus, Vibe takes a person-centred approach that reduces anxiety, builds self-esteem and helps young people work towards their goals.

One of the ways we do this is by creating positive, practical experiences that help young people grow in confidence and experience success in a supportive environment. Recently, a small group of young people supported by Vibe took part in a mountain biking session in Stirlingshire with an instructor from Lifecycle Trust.

Before getting started, the young people were shown how to ride safely and carry out basic bike checks. They began on the pump track, where they worked on balance, coordination and control, before progressing onto the green trail routes to build their skills at a manageable pace. As the session developed, the group successfully tackled a steep descent and a stream crossing, with support and encouragement throughout.

The activity gave the young people a safe opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, take on challenges and build trust in their own abilities. Working together to solve problems, assess risk and encourage one another helped strengthen relationships and support a sense of belonging. It also gave the group the chance to practise resilience, perseverance and independence in a real-world setting.

Building confidence

One young person, Zac, who took part summed up the group’s approach with a simple challenge to himself and others: “Why do the easy run when there’s a harder one?” His words reflected the determination, motivation and growing confidence shown by the young people as they progressed through the course.

As Vibe Wellbeing Practitioner Sarah reflected on one young girl’s experience, “The measure of success wasn’t that she stayed on the bike, it was that when she fell off, she chose to get back on.” That moment captured the spirit of the session: success was not about perfection, but about persistence, confidence and trying again.

Rosa, another young person supported by Vibe, said, “It was like rekindling an old love of cycling, just like riding a bike again, and it was very scenic and a great way to de-stress.” Rosa also said she really enjoyed the challenge and might be tempted to try more mountain biking in the future.

Sander, who facilitated the sessions, said, “The young people have not only shown an aptitude to learn but also the commitment to take on challenges out on the trails and overcome their fears with confidence, both on and off the bike.”

A real sense of achievement

For many neurodivergent young people, experiences like this can be an important part of reducing anxiety and rebuilding confidence. By the end of the session, the young people had gained a real sense of achievement and a stronger belief in what they could do. The experience supported them to:

• feel more confident in trying new things
• develop coping strategies through supported challenge
• recognise that setbacks can be managed with perseverance and encouragement
• begin to see a future where they can achieve their goals

We are grateful to Lifecycle Trust for their expert guidance and for helping to make the session engaging, accessible and enjoyable. Partnerships like this enable Vibe to offer meaningful opportunities that support wellbeing, learning and positive future pathways.

You can read more about our Vibe service here.