Serious Laughter: 12 Months of Joy, Growth and Making a Difference

What an extraordinary year 2025 has been for Serious Laughter! As I reflect on the past twelve months, I’m filled with gratitude for the countless moments of connection, laughter and genuine transformation we’ve shared with individuals and organisations across the UK.

Sharing Our Message on ITV Granada Reports

One of the proudest moments of the year came during Mental Health Week, when ITV Granada Reports invited us to share the power of Laughter Yoga with their viewers. Being featured in this important piece allowed us to reach thousands of people who might be struggling, showing them that there are alternative, accessible wellness activities to support mental well-being. The response was overwhelming, with many viewers reaching out to discover more about how laughter can genuinely help when life feels challenging. Watch the clip here on YouTube

A Memorable Meeting at Kew Gardens

In a truly special experience, we had the privilege of delivering two Laughter Yoga sessions at the beautiful Kew Gardens for the Joe Wicks Festival. The setting itself was magical, but what made it unforgettable was meeting Joe Wicks afterwards and a laughie with him, then Joe Wicks said “It really works!”. Sharing our passion for wellbeing with someone who has inspired millions to move their bodies was a wonderful reminder that there are many paths to better health – and laughter is a powerful one.

Taking Centre Stage

This year, Serious Laughter was on stage at numerous conferences and away days, each a unique opportunity to break down barriers and help people discover the joy of laughter. Highlights included working with the team at San Carlo, where we brought lightness and energy to their event, and delivering a powerful Laughter Yoga session for Together For Short Lives – an organisation doing remarkable work supporting families facing unimaginable challenges. Being part of their day reminded me why this work matters so deeply.

Our Fourth Year at Happy Place Festival

Returning to Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place Festival at Tatton Park for the fourth year felt like coming home. The festival community has embraced Laughter Yoga with open hearts, and each year we see familiar faces alongside newcomers discovering the practice for the first time. There’s something profoundly moving about leading hundreds of people in laughter together, watching scepticism transform into genuine joy and connection. Laughter Yoga brings people together from all walks of life.

Launching Drum Up Happiness

One of the most exciting developments this year has been the launch of our brand new workshop, Drum Up Happiness, created in partnership with Elk Burland from Synergy Beat. This revolutionary approach combines the raw power of group drumming with the healing magic of Wellbeing Laughter Yoga, creating something truly transformative for teams.

The response has been remarkable, making it one of our most popular sessions. Watching stressed professionals drum out rhythms together, their heartbeats literally synchronising, followed by genuine therapeutic laughter – it’s been extraordinary to witness. Participants who have experienced Drum Up Happiness carry something different back to their workplaces: better communication, more natural collaboration, and a resilience that helps them handle challenges as a united group rather than as isolated individuals. The combination of drumming and Laughter Yoga blends seamlessly together in this unique wellness workshop.

What makes this workshop special is that it meets people exactly where they are. You don’t need to be musical or naturally comfortable expressing yourself – the structured activities create a safe space where even the most reserved person can fully participate, whilst natural leaders discover new ways to shine. It’s exercise that doesn’t feel like punishment, stress relief that actually works, and team building that creates genuine human connection rather than forced fun.

Growing Our Community of Leaders

Perhaps the achievement I’m most proud of is training 26 new Laughter Yoga Leaders this year. Each person who completes the training takes this practice into their own communities, workplaces, and lives, creating ripples of well-being far beyond what I could achieve alone. Watching these individuals – many of whom arrived with their own stories of struggle and scepticism – become confident facilitators of joy has been genuinely inspiring.

Looking Ahead

As we move towards 2026, I’m reminded of why I began this journey. Coming from my own experience of depression, I understand the power of finding something that works when traditional approaches feel out of reach. Laughter Yoga isn’t about forcing happiness or pretending everything is fine – it’s about permitting ourselves to experience joy, even when life is difficult.

Thank you to everyone who has laughed with us, trusted us with their well-being, and helped spread the message that laughter truly can be powerful medicine. Here’s to another year of making a difference, one laugh at a time.

You can download our Services pack for details of all wellness sessions and their benefits – click here

Join a public Laughter Yoga online session or Laughter Yoga in Manchester event here

Find out more about What is Laughter Yoga in this article

Discover more benefits of Laughter Yoga on this page

If you’d like to bring Laughter Yoga or Drum Up Happiness to your workplace, community group or event, or are interested in becoming a trained Laughter Yoga Leader yourself, please get in touch. Serving Manchester, Cheshire, Leeds, London and the whole UK.