impact & Values

Impact & Values

ICIAIW exists to create meaningful, long-term social impact through creative wellbeing practice.
Our work is rooted in reflection, lived experience and community connection, with impact embedded into how programmes are designed, delivered and evaluated.

Our Impact

ICIAIW programmes support participants to develop the confidence, skills and connections needed to engage more fully in their lives, education and creative practice.

Our activity contributes to:

  • Improved emotional awareness and self-confidence

  • Increased resilience and ability to navigate change

  • Greater engagement in creative expression and participation

  • Stronger connection, belonging and peer support

Impact is not treated as an afterthought; it is central to programme design.

How We Measure Impact

ICIAIW uses proportionate, learning-led evaluation methods appropriate to each setting.

These include:

  • Guided reflection and journaling outputs

  • Participant feedback and facilitated discussion

  • Pre- and post-activity check-ins where appropriate

  • Partner feedback and observational learning

Evaluation is used to refine delivery, strengthen partnerships and improve outcomes over time.

Who Benefits

Our work primarily benefits:

  • Young people and emerging adults

  • Creatives and cultural workers

  • Individuals experiencing stress, transition or reduced access to wellbeing support

  • Underrepresented and marginalised communities

We aim to reduce barriers to participation and ensure activity is welcoming, inclusive and accessible.

Our Values

ICIAIW is guided by the following principles:

People Before Profit
As a Community Interest Company, public benefit is central to all decision-making.

Lived Experience Matters
Programmes are shaped by real-world experience and delivered with honesty and care.

Reflection Creates Change
We believe reflection is a practical skill that supports agency, confidence and wellbeing.

Creativity Is a Tool for Connection
Creative practice provides an inclusive, non-clinical route to expression and engagement.

Community Is Strength
Shared experience and dialogue build belonging, trust and collective resilience.

Equity, Inclusion & Access

ICIAIW is committed to inclusive practice and creating safe, respectful spaces for participation.
We work to ensure programmes are accessible and responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.

Governance & Accountability

ICIAIW is a Community Interest Company (CIC) by guarantee.

This structure ensures:

  • Activity is delivered for public benefit

  • Any surplus is reinvested into social impact

  • Transparent governance and accountability

The organisation is guided by a board with experience across culture, education and wellbeing.

Our Commitment

ICIAIW is committed to continuous learning, responsible growth and meaningful impact.
We work collaboratively with partners to ensure our programmes remain relevant, ethical and effective.

impact begins with REFLECTION - and grows through community.

Theory of Change

Context

Many individuals — particularly young people, creatives and underrepresented communities — experience increasing pressure, reduced access to creative opportunity and limited space for reflection and emotional processing. This can impact confidence, wellbeing, engagement and participation in cultural and community life.

ICIAIW responds to this need by embedding structured reflection and creative engagement into accessible, community-based settings.

Our Belief

We believe that when people are given time, language and permission to reflect, alongside inclusive creative activity and peer connection, they are better able to understand themselves, build confidence and navigate change.

Reflection is a practical skill that can be learned, strengthened and shared.

Inputs

ICIAIW draws on:

  • Lived experience and creative practice

  • Trained facilitators and partners

  • Reflection and journaling tools

  • Creative spaces and community settings

  • Partnerships with schools, cultural organisations and community groups

Activities

We deliver:

  • Guided reflection and journaling programmes

  • Facilitated creative wellbeing workshops

  • Youth and education-based engagement

  • Community and cultural activations

  • Partnership-led delivery in local contexts

All activity is designed to be inclusive, adaptable and responsive to participant needs.

Outputs

Our activity results in:

  • Regular opportunities for reflection and creative participation

  • Safe, facilitated spaces for dialogue and expression

  • Engagement of young people, creatives and community participants

  • Strengthened partnerships across cultural and community sectors

Short-Term Outcomes

Participants:

  • Develop greater emotional awareness

  • Increase confidence and self-belief

  • Feel supported and heard

  • Engage more openly in creative expression

Medium-Term Outcomes

Participants:

  • Build resilience and coping strategies

  • Strengthen connection and sense of belonging

  • Increase engagement in education, creative practice or community activity

  • Develop agency in decision-making and self-expression

Long-Term Impact

Over time, ICIAIW contributes to:

  • Improved wellbeing and life confidence

  • Stronger, more connected communities

  • Increased access to creative participation

  • A culture that values reflection, care and creativity as everyday practices

Assumptions

Our work assumes that:

  • Creative activity provides an accessible route to engagement

  • Reflection supports emotional literacy and wellbeing

  • Safe, inclusive spaces enable honest participation

  • Community connection strengthens individual outcomes

These assumptions are continually tested and refined through delivery and evaluation.

Evaluation & Learning

ICIAIW uses proportionate, learning-led evaluation including:

  • Reflective outputs and participant feedback

  • Facilitated discussion and observation

  • Partner feedback and review

  • Ongoing programme refinement

Learning informs future delivery and strengthens impact over time.

Sustainability

As a Community Interest Company, ICIAIW reinvests any surplus into public benefit.
Long-term sustainability is supported through partnerships, blended funding and scalable programme design.

CIAIW’s Theory of Change is based on the belief that structured reflection, creative engagement and community connection build confidence, wellbeing and long-term social impact.