Practices that support our work: mindfulness
How do you keep going and keep momentum, when there are systemic barriers that make it difficult for people to reach their goals? During this Mini-Series, we reflect on a few top practices, that support our work. In this second part of the series, we reflect on Mindfulness - a set of skills shared with our alumni community earlier this year.
From January to March 2026, we offered an 8 week Mindfulness course to community members of Routes. This was one of the first activities on our newly established Alumni Programme, offering different types of skills and workshops - alongside further signposting, support and access to learning opportunities - for alumni mentees of our Mentoring Programme and candidates from our Routes to Employment cohorts.
The women in our Routes alumni community continue to work on their personal and professional goals - and thanks to the support of City Bridge Foundation - we are now able to provide regular touch-points, for them to continue to learn with Routes and with other women in our community. Over the years, we’ve seen how important it is for women to have a place to come back to: to ask questions, get references and up-to-date information and to continue to feel part of a supportive environment. With our newly established Alumni Programme, we’re able to offer more robust support, including workshop series.
Women in the Routes alumni community might be at different stages in their lives: some will have long-term status in the UK, whilst others are still waiting for their refugee status. Some will have had their first jobs in the UK, others are building up to that point. What they all share, is a commitment to their personal goals and the time and effort they’ve put in to build roadmaps for themselves, to progress in their learning and career pathways.
In the words of Wieke, Routes’ Head of Programmes: ‘One of our alumni mentors approached us, and asked if we were interested in offering mindfulness to our alumni mentees. She connected us with Charmaine, who eventually came to facilitate our online Mindfulness course! We straight away liked the sound of it.
“Whilst mindfulness cannot take away the barriers or stressors of the Hostile Environment that is the UK asylum system, mindfulness skills might help people navigating their personal goals related to their education and employment. ”
As such, Mentoring Programme Manager and Alumni Programme Co-Lead Shunn was tasked with organising the Mindfulness Course for Routes alumni. Facilitator Charmaine’s time was funded by The Everyone Project, who seek to make mindfulness accessible to those living with multiple stressors. Meanwhile, Routes’ provided data top ups to successful participants, so that they were able to attend the course from their devices without tech issues.
Course leader Charmaine joined Routes from her company The Mindful Zen. Together with Shunn, she hosted the 8 sessions of online Mindfulness learning, with Charmaine teaching. 'The course followed a gentle structured journey through awareness of thoughts, compassion practices, and how to create more mindful living — all to help people feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control of their inner world. Some participants arrived feeling overwhelmed; minds on alert, bodies tired, whilst others were worried about family members or struggling to stay focused. Many simply needed a moment to breathe.’
During the course, different techniques were shared, such as positive self-talk, body scans and other small practices that women could integrate in their daily lives. The feedback of participants about the course was really positive. ‘“I feel myself more relaxed. Before joining this course, my mind was always on alert mode, but now I have a lot of control to let things go and live in the present moment.”
Charmaine reflects on the impact this has on individuals and their wider social networks. ‘When women feel supported, centred, and empowered, everything changes — not just for them, but for the people around them. Mindfulness isn’t about escaping life; it’s about meeting it with clarity, compassion, and courage.’
Pictured above: Mindfulness trainer Charmaine (in-person) and Routes Programme Manager Shunn (holding space online).
Women shared stories with each other too. As Charmaine reflects: ‘The course wasn’t just about techniques; it was about connection, compassion, and community.’ A participant mentioned this as one of the highlights and great benefits of the course: “All the exercises and sharing with each other. I learned a lot from others as well.”
As Routes’ Head of Programmes Wieke mentioned: ‘Being able to support yourself with calm in lengthy processes like a job search and learning more about how you respond and motivate yourself in situations that are new or scary, such as job interviews, seemed like a great thing to offer. We know from our work on the Mentoring Programme that confidence building is incredibly important. It was great to see our community members, who started with Routes in different years, practice relevant mindfulness related soft skills together.’
Charmaine links this back to goal work too: ‘Since delivering this course to individuals focused on developing their career goals, I have seen how mindfulness can quietly strengthen their motivation and confidence by helping people regulate stress, trust themselves more, and take steady, intentional steps forward. Working with Routes community was an absolute joy and privilege, because their openness, honesty, and willingness to grow created a truly meaningful learning space.’
Routes’ Programme Manager Shunn concludes: ‘To me, mindfulness is about autonomy - it’s about being able to regain what is important for you, and being able to have the clarity to understand which steps you need to take, to get closer to your goals. In being able to offer this to the women in our community, I consider it a feminist practice too!’
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for Part 3 of this Summer 2026 Mini Series, with reflections by Routes’ Head of Programmes Wieke on the importance of marking the moment - big and small.
