Trust isn't rebuilt through slogans or strategy documents. It starts with small, visible acts that make people feel calmer, safer and more connected.

In Cheshire, that act was simple enough to fit in a pocket: a lockable pouch for mobile phones.

Birchwood Community High School in Warrington is where Brianna Ghey studied before she was tragically murdered in 2023. Out of that heartbreak, her mum, Esther Ghey, refused to turn away. Working with headteacher Emma Mills, she helped Birchwood become one of Britain’s first fully phone-free schools.

What began as one school’s commitment to creating a calmer, safer environment has grown into a movement supported by teachers, parents and local leaders, making Cheshire the first phone-free schools area in the country.

Dan Price, Cheshire's Police and Crime Commissioner and a client of The Change Arc, has helped this work spread across the region.

Our co-founder Rob Griffiths talks about how this shift is doing more than improving learning. It is helping rebuild trust, wellbeing and the social fabric of entire communities, one small step at a time. Read full article