The Swain Collective
Mentorship • Youth Empowerment • Healing
The Swain Collective, founded and led by Ashley Swain, is a purpose-driven initiative dedicated to creating pathways of care, culture, and opportunity for Indigenous youth and women. It stands at the intersection of lived experience and social innovation — transforming healing into leadership, and resilience into measurable community impact.
Born from Ashley’s personal journey of overcoming adversity and reclaiming cultural identity, The Swain Collective was established to empower others to rise, lead, and belong. Through mentorship, leadership programs, and trauma-informed spaces, it enables young people and women to reconnect with their sense of purpose, identity, and capability — ensuring that cultural healing and opportunity move hand-in-hand.
At its heart, The Swain Collective delivers more than community programs — it creates a movement for generational change. Each initiative is designed to build the confidence, capability, and wellbeing needed for Indigenous youth and women to participate fully in education, employment, and leadership. The Collective combines mentorship, storytelling, and holistic wellbeing to restore confidence and self-determination, helping participants turn lived experience into leadership potential.
For corporate partners, The Swain Collective offers a unique model for social investment that aligns with Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) objectives, and the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP). By investing in The Collective’s programs, organisations actively contribute to measurable social outcomes — building shared value that strengthens both workforce capability and community resilience.
Our Commitment
Safe Spaces – Creating environments where Indigenous youth and women feel protected, respected, and valued.
Leadership & Resilience – Delivering mentorship that builds confidence, skills, and access to education, employment, and leadership opportunities.
Healing Through Culture – Integrating traditional knowledge with holistic wellbeing to strengthen identity, belonging, and purpose.
Future Generations – Investing in the next generation of Indigenous leaders through connection, opportunity, and cultural pride.
The Swain Collective is more than a program — it is a continuation of Ashley’s mission to bridge the gap between community and corporate Australia. It creates opportunities for collaboration that are authentic, measurable, and grounded in cultural integrity, enabling corporates to engage meaningfully in nation-building through social procurement.
As part of the Swain Corporate Group, The Swain Collective works alongside Swain Supply and Ashley Swain Corporate to deliver a holistic ecosystem of impact — connecting community empowerment, procurement capability, and corporate education. Together, they transform intent into impact, building a framework where economic growth, cultural truth, and social transformation move forward in partnership.
Empowering healing, wellbeing, and leadership through culturally grounded and evidence-based approaches. The Swain Collective delivers programs that integrate Indigenous cultural knowledge with modern therapeutic practices, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and trauma-informed frameworks.
Our Approach
The Swain Collective integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and strengths-based models to support holistic healing. Each session is guided by cultural truth, evidence-based practice, and lived experience — creating space for reflection, empowerment, and growth.
Inspire – Cultural Wellbeing & Empowerment
Interactive and trauma-informed, this program is designed to ignite confidence, identity, and purpose in the next generation. Each session creates a culturally safe space where participants are encouraged to explore their stories, emotions, and strengths through a balance of creative expression and structured reflection. Blending Indigenous storytelling, art-based learning, and principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the program helps participants develop self-awareness, resilience, and a stronger connection to their cultural identity and community.
Program include:
School and community-based wellbeing workshops.
Creative arts and storytelling for emotional expression.
Youth empowerment and identity-building sessions.
Target group: primary to senior school.
Minimum participants: 8 per session.
1 day: Deep-dive cultural and wellbeing immersion.
Facilitation: Delivered by experienced Indigenous facilitators trained in CBT-based and trauma-informed approaches, providing a safe, supportive, and culturally grounded learning environment.
Outcomes: Participants experience increased self-awareness, emotional resilience, confidence, and strengthened connection to culture and community.
The Swain Collective Programs
Educate – Mentorship & Leadership Pathways
Grounded in cultural integrity and emotional wellbeing, this program builds upon the techniques introduced in Inspire, expanding into deeper layers of personal growth, healing, and leadership development. It draws on storytelling, mindfulness, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to strengthen confidence, resilience, and accountability while fostering emotional intelligence and purpose-driven leadership. Designed for Indigenous youth and women, it provides a culturally safe and reflective space that empowers participants to believe in themselves, embrace their identity, and lead with authenticity, integrity, and courage.
Programs include:
Healing-informed leadership and resilience training.
Creative expression and storytelling for emotional development.
Cultural wellbeing and confidence-building activities (drawn from Inspire).
Career, education, and life-skills development pathways.
Target group: Ages 14 years and over, and women’s leadership programs
Minimum participants: 8 per program.
Duration: 2 consecutive days (6 hours per day).
Facilitation: Delivered by culturally qualified facilitators trained in CBT-based frameworks and trauma-informed practice.
Outcomes: Increased self-awareness, leadership confidence, emotional resilience, and strengthened connection to culture.
Embed – Cultural Healing & Wellbeing
Programs designed to strengthen community wellbeing through a balance of cultural practice and evidence-based healing methods. Grounded in values of connection, belonging, and collective strength, these sessions bring together cultural healing, mindfulness, and breath work techniques to support reflection, self-awareness, and emotional restoration.
Programs include:
Breath work and grounding techniques for emotional regulation.
Trauma-informed workshops centred on healing through connection and reflection.
Women’s healing circles and empowerment retreats.
Cultural storytelling and creative arts for self-expression and collective healing.
Target Group: Ages 16 years and over, including youth, women, and community groups.
Minimum Participants: 8 per session.
Duration: 4 consecutive days (6 hours per day max).
Facilitation: Delivered by qualified facilitators and healers experienced in breath-work, mindfulness, and trauma-informed practice, ensuring an inclusive, compassionate, and empowering environment.
Outcomes: Participants experience improved self-awareness, emotional balance, cultural grounding, and a strengthened sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Partnerships – Long-Term Community Impact
The Swain Collective partners with corporates, schools, government agencies, and community organisations to co-design programs that connect cultural healing with organisational wellbeing, inclusion, and impact goals. Each partnership is built on trust, transparency, and shared responsibility — ensuring that engagement leads to measurable, sustainable outcomes for both business and community.
Collaborations include:
Trauma-informed wellbeing and self-identity workshops.
Tailored community engagement and inclusion strategies.
Joint programs aligned with RAP, IPP, and ESG priorities.
Sponsorship and corporate partnership opportunities.
Customisable duration
Delivery model: Available nationwide (in-person and blended delivery).
Facilitation: Delivered collaboratively by experienced facilitators, corporate partners, and community leaders, ensuring every program reflects both cultural integrity and organisational objectives.
Outcomes: Partnerships result in stronger relationships between corporate and community sectors, measurable social and economic impact, and long-term alignment with national frameworks such as the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP)and Closing the Gap targets.
Across all programs, participants are guided through experiences that help process trauma, share stories, and rebuild resilience, drawing on both traditional and modern approaches to healing. Each program provides a safe and supportive environment that encourages self-expression, balance, and personal growth. Healing is viewed as the gateway to success — supporting participants to acknowledge, accept, and believe in themselves. Each session is intentionally designed to embed personal development and self-awareness subconsciously through reflective, creative, and culturally connected experiences.
All programs are trauma-informed and align with best-practice wellbeing and inclusion frameworks, supporting outcomes under the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP), Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), and ESG commitments. Evaluation and feedback are built into every delivery to ensure measurable impact and continuous improvement. Every program contributes to a broader legacy — strengthening capability, wellbeing, and cultural connection across individuals, communities, and organisations. Programs are adaptable in format and delivery, available nationwide for corporate, school, and community settings.
For further details about each program, including insights into the facilitation process, daily structure, and delivery model, please contact admin@ashleyswain.com.au.