Resilient Minds
Supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young Muslims in Luton
About the Programme
Resilient Minds is BCBN’s new flagship initiative, launched to address the urgent mental health challenges faced by young Muslims in Luton. The programme takes a whole-school approach, embedding faith-sensitive mental health support into schools to improve emotional resilience, self-esteem, and access to culturally competent care.
Delivered in collaboration with the Muslim Mind Collaborative—which BCBN founded—and key partners including Mind UK, Resilient Minds is working with secondary schools to support over 2,200 students through tailored wellbeing interventions.
Building on Proven Foundations
In 2021, BCBN partnered with The Children’s Society to deliver Resilient Me, a pilot programme focused on faith- and identity-informed mental health support in schools. The initiative (www.resilient-me.net) tested the effectiveness of a whole-school approach to wellbeing for young Muslims across London.
Drawing from this experience, Resilient Minds expands the model into Luton, responding to local need while incorporating the lessons, frameworks, and tools developed during the Resilient Me pilot. The goal is to create lasting change by embedding faith-sensitive support within school culture and systems.
Why Luton?
Luton has some of the highest rates of youth mental health issues and crime in the UK.
- 1 in 10 young people experience mental health difficulties
- Only 25% receive adequate support
- 1 in 3 children live in poverty
- Crime rates are above national average
These challenges are even more complex for young Muslims, who often face cultural stigma, lack of faith-sensitive care, and identity-based discrimination. Resilient Minds responds to this need with a model that understands and reflects the lived realities of these students.
What the Programme Offers
Resilient Minds provides schools and students with:
- Tailored wellbeing workshops for students
- Training for staff, safeguarding leads, and welfare teams
- Parent and carer engagement sessions
- Faith- and culture-sensitive mental health curriculum
- Student-led mental health campaigns
- Partnerships with mental health experts
- Tools and resources to build a sustainable, supportive school culture
Our Approach
BCBN has over a decade of experience supporting young people across the UK—from youth violence prevention to mental health and mentoring. Resilient Minds builds on this legacy by offering:
- A trauma-informed, identity-aware approach
- Strategic collaboration with schools and national mental health organisations
- A model grounded in community insight and youth voice
- Long-term impact through skill-building and systemic change
Get Involved
Are you a school, educator, funder, or youth organisation interested in Resilient Minds?
We are actively seeking new partners to expand the programme in Luton and beyond.
Contact us at: info@muslimmindcollaborative.co.uk
Learn more about the Muslim Mind Collaborative:
www.muslimmindcollaborative.co.uk
Funded By
This programme is a partnership between BCBN and the Muslim Mind Collaborative (MMC), delivered by the Chiltern Learning Trust, and generously sponsored by Muslim Aid. Together, we are working to ensure that young Muslims in Luton receive the culturally and faith-sensitive support they deserve—within school environments that recognise and uplift their identities.
