In this episode, we’re joined by Diana Whitmore, CoCEO of Growing2gether, for a powerful, hopeful conversation about young people, belief, and what happens when we stop trying to “fix” kids and start trusting them instead.

Diana shares the story behind Growing2gether, an early-intervention programme that brings together two groups often labelled as “vulnerable”: disengaged young people and children with additional support needs. The result? Something quietly transformational.

We talk about how mentoring younger children helps teenagers rediscover their own self-worth, why positive psychology and coaching sit at the heart of the programme, and what Diana has learned from over 40 years working in the third sector. She reflects on the influence of her lifelong mentor, Laura Huxley, the widow of Aldous Huxley, and how a belief in human potential became the foundation for everything that followed.

This is a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about education, mental health, community, resilience, and why every young person needs at least one adult who sees their potential before they do. We also explore funding challenges, working with schools across the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeen, and Diana’s hopes for how this work could shape Scotland’s future.

At its heart, this episode is a reminder that belief is not a “soft” skill, but a catalyst for real change.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction & welcome
• 01:25 What is Growing2gether?
• 03:00 Mentoring vulnerable children - why it works
• 05:23 Diana’s journey into youth development
• 07:40 Positive psychology & believing in young people
• 10:28 Building trust, not fixing behaviour
• 13:03 Leadership, third sector lessons & turning points
• 15:33 Evidence, outcomes & positive destinations
• 17:17 Coaching vs telling young people what to do
• 19:06 Early champions & support in the Highlands
• 22:20 Funding challenges & system change
• 25:40 A day inside the Growing2gether programme
• 29:25 Why mentoring younger children matters
• 32:32 “All young people want to feel they matter”
• 34:18 Training teachers & spreading the approach
• 36:24 How schools and communities respond
• 39:31 What young people have taught Diana
• 42:03 Resilience, self-empathy & leadership
• 44:40 The role of Growing2gether in Scotland’s youth ecosystem
• 48:26 Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond
• 52:14 How communities can support the work
• 54:26 Messages for young people and adults
• 56:14 Closing reflections