Our story, mission, and vision for the future
We Believe 2 CIC exists to stop young people aged 11-19 (and up to 25 SEN) in Falmouth & Penryn, Cornwall, from falling through the cracks. Specifically those young people at risk of anti-social behaviour and entering the Criminal Justice System.
We believe that every young person has potential, no matter what. Many are written off before they've even had a chance—we refuse to let that happen. Through Trauma Informed Targeted Youth Work, Trauma Therapy and Mentorship, we step in before they are lost to the system.
We see a future where young people who once needed our help are leading the work for the next generation. Where those we supported have grown, found their strength, and returned to plant the next seeds of change. Our aim is to have full-time delivery staff and a thriving, self-sustaining cycle of young people supporting each other.
We Believe 2 is the sister or brother of the original Believe Project, founded by Dawn in 2018. The idea was born out of frustration — hearing the same young people's names mentioned repeatedly in multi-agency meetings. Dawn asked the vital question: Where is the help for these young people?
These were young people slipping through the cracks — marginalised, at risk of exploitation, exclusion, or being drawn into antisocial behaviour and the criminal justice system. Dawn launched Believe because she genuinely believes every young person has potential, no matter their background or situation.
Dawn and Lucy have worked together as qualified Youth Workers since 2010, delivering a range of impactful youth initiatives within the Local Authority, including running a Duke of Edinburgh Award group. However, after widespread government austerity cuts to Youth Services, they found themselves increasingly focused on the young people who needed more targeted, specialist support.
Their shared passion lies in helping those who don't fit easily into mainstream services — young people who are excluded from school, missing from home, at risk of offending, known to the police, or vulnerable to exploitation. These are the young people We Believe 2 exists for.
In recent years, Lucy retrained as a Therapist, while Dawn continued to work in the voluntary and charitable sector. Together, they created a powerful two-pronged model: combining targeted, trauma-informed Youth Work with therapeutic support. This approach has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from young people, families, and partner agencies alike.
Now, with We Believe 2, Dawn and Lucy are realising their long-standing dream: to create a fully integrated youth work and trauma-informed youth work therapy partnership that offers hope, healing, and real opportunities for change to young people who've been let down too many times before.
We believe every young person matters. We believe in early intervention, prevention and diversion. We believe in potential.
These values guide everything we do at We Believe 2 CIC.
We see the future, not just the past. Every young person has the ability to grow, change, and thrive.
Strong roots create strong futures. Young people grow with us, then return to guide the next generation.
It's about showing up, caring, and building trust. No tick-box exercises.
We exist because too many young people are being let down. We refuse to let them be forgotten.
We ask, we listen, and we work with, not for young people.
We understand why young people make choices, but we also help them take responsibility.
Early intervention, Trauma-informed Youth Work, Therapy, and real solutions—not quick fixes.
Unlike traditional interventions, we are not just another service. We are the missing link between statutory services and real-world, street-level support.
No 'quick fixes' or revolving-door interventions. We're in it for the long haul.
Physically and emotionally.
Not just their behavior. Understanding their story, their trauma, and what drives their actions.
That belief changes everything.
We are more than an intervention — we're a movement. A movement that believes in young people, walks alongside them, and refuses to let them be lost to the system.
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