Finding My Way

Supporting boys aged 13–19 to build healthy identities and relationships – with themselves and others.

What is Finding My Way?

Finding My Way is MensCraft’s programme for adolescent boys and young men aged 13–19 who are navigating identity, relationships and belonging in a confusing and often pressurised world. 

Many boys today grow up feeling lonely, isolated or unsure of where they fit. When positive male role models are missing, or when boys don’t have spaces to talk honestly without fear of being judged, they can become vulnerable to simplistic and harmful messages about what it means to be a “real man” – especially online.

Finding My Way helps boys:

  • Develop confidence, leadership and communication skills
  • Build respectful, healthy relationships
  • Make sense of masculinity in ways that are healthy, flexible and real
  • Find belonging through connection, creativity and shared activity

Why this programme matters

Some online spaces – and wider cultural messages about masculinity – can narrow boys’ sense of who they’re allowed to be and how they should act. For boys who feel unheard or left behind, these narratives can feel convincing. But they often lead to anger, isolation and harm – to themselves and others.

Reframing masculinity

Today’s culture often frames masculinity as something inherently harmful or “toxic”. We see boys and men as capable of depth, self-awareness and meaningful connection, able to recognise and express a full range of emotions, build supportive relationships and contribute positively to the people and communities around them.

Finding My Way offers an alternative

This programme aims to foster:

  • Belonging instead of blame
  • Meaning instead of myths
  • Healthy masculinity rooted in respect, empathy, emotional intelligence and self-worth
  • Understanding of individual values to promote healthy identities

Who Finding My Way is for

You don’t need to fit a stereotype to be strong and to belong.

 

Finding My Way provides opportunities for you to:

  • Be yourself, without judgement
  • Talk about things that actually matter to you
  • Learn how to handle emotions, friendships and relationships
  • Figure out who you want to be — not who you are told you should be

We use:

  • Practical, hands-on activities
  • Group discussions that feel real, not awkward
  • Creative ways to explore confidence, identity and respect
  • Male facilitators who foster autonomy, listen and don’t pretend to have all the answers

Supporting boys through a complex stage of life.

 

Adolescence can be tough – for boys and the adults around them. Many parents tell us they worry about:

  • Loneliness or withdrawal
  • Anger, frustration or low self-esteem
  • Online influences and harmful role models
  • How to talk about masculinity, relationships and consent

Finding My Way supports parents by:

  • Helping boys build emotional literacy and confidence
  • Reinforcing respectful values around relationships and gender
  • Offering spaces where boys can talk to trusted adults and peers
  • Complementing — not replacing — family relationships

We believe parents and carers are key allies. Our approach is supportive, not judgmental, and rooted in what helps young people flourish.

Schools, youth workers, children’s services and partner organisations.

 

Finding My Way is designed to sit alongside existing education, safeguarding and wellbeing provision.

We work with:

  • Secondary schools and colleges
  • Youth services and voluntary sector organisations
  • Children’s services and early help teams
  • Alternative provision and community settings

The programme:

  • Addresses early risk factors linked to isolation, harmful beliefs and poor relationship skills
  • Supports prevention, not just crisis response
  • Uses gender-aware, trauma-informed practice
  • Aligns with safeguarding, PSHE, RSE and wellbeing frameworks
  • Shares insight into the psychology of boys and how to respond to their needs and curiosities

We can offer

  • Group programmes
  • Targeted interventions through mentoring
  • Staff briefings and insight sessions
  • Partnership working tailored to local needs
  • Professional development to bolster gender-informed responses to boys and their current challenges

Where do we work?

Finding My Way will run in Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Norwich, but the research base, resources and outcomes will be available through our website, creating impact on a much wider scale.

When does it start?

We are currently finalising the programme and recruiting for a Project Worker. We expect the programme to start in-person engagement in Norwich in summer 2026. 

Want to know more?

Whether you’re a young person, interested volunteer, parent or professional, we’d love to talk.

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Phone: 07763 996489

Meet Cody