Joyworks! for charities, social enterprises and community groups
Uplifting the people who lift communities — and everyone they support
“Honestly, haven't laughed so much, I don't think in my whole life. I was a wee bit skeptical at the start, but once you just let go and get into it, it's absolutely unbelievable and quite emotional as well. It brings everybody together, people going through terrible circumstances, and they just look so happy. It was just brilliant. I loved it.”
– Laura Boyd, STV Presenter, Rainbow Valley Seven Steps to Health Cancer Recovery
You work with people who carry heavy stories.
Your staff and volunteers are holding space for people navigating trauma, change and complex life circumstances – often while managing their own. And while the work is meaningful, it can also be exhausting.
You want to uplift them all. You want to create moments of joy, connection and belonging. You want people to feel human again.
You want your people and your client groups to feel:
Energised
Connected
Resilient
Seen, valued and supported
And you want confidence that what you choose will work for everyone – introverts and extroverts, sceptics and believers, exhausted teams, high performers, new starters, long-servers and vulnerable client groups.
At the same time, what you offer must be:
Accessible for all ages, backgrounds and confidence levels
Sensitive to trauma, hardship and complex needs
Joyful without being overwhelming
Safe, inclusive and emotionally aware
High-impact, community-building and deeply human
You’re looking for something that works across your whole organisation – supporting staff and volunteers, enriching service users, and creating shared understanding, compassion and connection.
And it needs to be easy to justify to senior leadership, boards and funders.
That’s where we come in.
Charities, social enterprises and community groups we’ve created positive change for:
The Joyworks! Effect
Hear from other people who have been Joyworks!-ed
Claire Alexander,
MacMillan Cancer Support
Perth Autism
Angela McVicar,
Founder & Operations Manager,
Rainbow Valley
How Joyworks! supports third sector organisations
With our 360º Joyworks! Method, we design and deliver joyful, trauma-informed experiences that uplift people at every stage of life and in every emotional state.
Our work supports:
Staff and volunteers – to prevent burnout and strengthen connection
Client groups – to build confidence, belonging and emotional wellbeing
Whole organisations – to create healthier, more compassionate cultures
We blend:
Laughter, movement and creativity
Trauma-informed self-compassion
Mindful meditation, relaxation and visualisation
Storytelling and shared connection
Specially designed games that encourage reflection and discussion
Safe, joyful facilitation for vulnerable and mixed-ability groups
We meet people exactly where they are – with warmth, humour and deep emotional understanding.
“The workshop was outstanding on all levels. The most general comment offered by participants was about the feeling of being uplifted by the workshop content. People are still raving about it.”
– Lesley Brady, Ayrshire Recovery Network Conference
Why joy and laughter create positive change (the science)
Joy is a biological, psychological and organisational performance enhancer. You may already have a really happy team, but creating joy is a great way to accentuate that and bring everyone closer.
Scientific research shows that joy:
Boosts problem-solving and creativity
Strengthens the immune system
Lowers cortisol and stress
Improves concentration and memory
Activates the brain’s learning centres
Enhances teamwork and social connection
Reduces burnout and emotional fatigue
Leads to higher resilience and better decision-making
Scientific research shows that laughter:
Activates the brain’s reward circuitry (dopamine release)
Triggers endorphins that regulate mood and reduce pain
Suppresses cortisol and adrenaline responses
Increases cognitive flexibility and creative thinking
Improves executive function under pressure
Strengthens social bonds via oxytocin release
Enhances immune response and recovery
Improves emotional regulation and stress tolerance
In short, creating more joy – together – helps people feel safer, healthier and more capable of positive change.
Our third sector offering includes:
For staff, volunteers and leadership teams:
Joyworks Signature Workshop: A high-energy, uplifting and deeply connecting experience that helps people feel lighter, calmer and more connected to themselves and one another. Available as a 60–90 minute workshop for staff teams, conferences and client groups.
Finding Your Joy Again Through Self-Compassion: A gentle but powerful 4–6 week programme helping people rebuild confidence, emotional resilience and self-kindness through creativity, reflection and connection. Designed especially for vunerable groups and those navigating stress, grief, illness or burnout.
Joyworks for Confidence: An energising 4–6 week programme using creativity, laughter and practical tools to help participants reconnect with their strengths, build confidence and feel more emotionally resilient.
Filling Up Your Cup: A supportive workshop helping carers and helping professionals release overwhelm, reduce self-criticism and reconnect with themselves in a warm, safe and uplifting way. Available as a 1–2 hour session.
Rediscovering Your Inner Child with Creativity: A playful, joyful workshop designed to reduce stress, spark creativity and help participants reconnect with fun, confidence and self-expression through laughter, movement and creative activities.
Confident Me: A fun, confidence-boosting session that helps participants step outside their comfort zone, feel more empowered and reconnect with their voice and self-belief. Ideal for young people and community groups.
Unleash Your Joy Superpower: An uplifting online or in-person session packed with simple techniques to quickly shift stress, boost mood and help people feel more energised and connected.
Loving What Is: A reflective and uplifting self-compassion workshop helping people with tools to reduce self-criticism, process emotions more gently and reconnect with themselves through warmth, laughter and shared human connection.
The Creativity Experience: A deeply uplifting and imaginative experience using poetry, storytelling, creativity, laughter and shared reflection to help people reconnect with themselves and one another in a powerful and memorable way.
Outcomes for your organisation
Your people will:
Feel energised, connected and valued
Learn practical tools to manage pressure and stress
Communicate more openly and collaborate more effectively
Experience a genuine uplift in morale
Your organisation and client groups will see:
Lower burnout, emotional fatigue and absenteeism
Increased engagement and connection
A stronger, more compassionate community culture
Improved group cohesion across teams
A shared, joyful experience that strengthens trust and understanding
Bring joy back to your community
Your staff, volunteers and client groups give so much of themselves. Joyworks! gives something meaningful back – connection, confidence, joy and humanity.
Let’s create joy for positive change together:
The Joyworks! Effect
Hear from other people who have been Joyworks!-ed
Angela Stewart,
Beatson Cancer Institute
Meg,
Incudem
Jenna Cochrane,
Quarriers
“Outstanding! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Transformed the energy in the room. Felt physically much better afterwards. There is such tremendous strength that comes from that innate human connection gained through laughing.”
Cara MacDowall, Chief Executive, National Conference
Scottish Families Affected by Drugs
“I feel comfortable in my happiness, and I feel happy with my confidence. Leaving each session, I felt so good about myself. I felt uplifted, with a smile on my face, I was without any pain, and I felt like I had no stresses, like I could tackle just about anything. I will always remember these sessions! They really have made a huge difference to my outlook on life.”
Katie,
Reach Autism
“I’m getting the programme back because I personally enjoyed it and felt more connected to our members who attended. I want even more members to experience how joyous the sessions are and be reminded to be kinder to ourselves. It created a lovely community feel.”
Suzanne Scott,
Director of Trauma-Informed Parenting