Supporting well-being

People who engage with laughter and our sessions on wellbeing often say that it gave insights to them, ideas to reflect on, lightbulb moments, and a chance to feel alive again.

In 2018,

• We ran 158 sessions.
• We engaged with 2896 people.

In 2019, 

• We ran 211 sessions.
• We engaged with 3327 people.

This graph shows the difference people felt after participating in a single laughter session in 2012.  Evaluation since then always shows a similar trend.  

Salford Heart Care, 2019

We ran and monitored a series of sessions. 

The most surprising result was the increase in the sense of friendship with the group when people arrived for a session.  When people arrived at the first session they scored this 6.9 out of 10, and when they arrived for the fourth session they scored this 9.1; this is a 32% increase in sense of friendship.

Feedback also showed that the improvement in how people felt between the start and end of a session was on average a 31% increase.

Comments included: 

• Really good laugh today. I enjoyed it.
• Very good. Relaxed
• Happier
• Enjoyed session. Had a good laugh.
• Good fun.
• Enjoyment 100%

Impact on people's lives

Some of our Feelgood Stories tell of the differences attending a session has made.  

We also tell the story of Dorothy, in her 70s, who so embraced the laughter ideas that she trained as a laughter leader!

Residential care home sessions

We ran a set of sessions in a residential care home in Eccles.  One of the participants, Ada, said, “I feel absolutely great whenever I’ve been.  Never stopped laughing.  Everyone enjoyed it.”  The barriers for participation for Ada are mainly due to long term health issues.  These are ongoing over the past 4-5 years. Involvement in this project helped because, “When I think about it, it makes me smile.  My ribs and jaws ached so much.  Seeing others laughing”.  She said it helped with making the most of life, particulatory the social aspects like meeting new people, sharing a laugh with people, bringing people together, feeling good about things, feeling uplifted.

International support for individuals in Africa.

• A few years ago, the Ethiopian boy we supported who had been living in the streets told us, through our interpreter,  "Without you I would be dead."  It was a reminder of how a relatively small amount of money can change someone's life.  
• The man we are supporting with vocational training in Ghana has several times said the same thing, "Without your help I would not be alive.  I thought I would be dead by now."
• We heard recently how one of the university students we helped with his tuition fees in Addis Ababa has flourished into a fine man.

The money we have contributed to individuals in Africa has been life changing.  A wise young Dutch man we met in Awassa said, "It is not your money, it is God's money.  You are just looking after it."  

Support us supporting others!