{
  "id": 12322083,
  "title": "Happiness Initiative’s Well-Being Circles to conclude after 5 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/happiness-initiatives-well-being-circles-to-conclude-after-5-years",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-06T06:55:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/happiness-initiative-well-being-circles-conclude-5-years-6432991"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The five-year mental wellness programme, Well-Being Circles, run by Singapore-based social enterprise Happiness Initiative, will conclude after reaching over 1,000 participants aged 18 to 80. The initiative, which involved small groups of strangers sharing personal experiences and discussing practical ways to improve mental well-being, has been running for nearly a decade. Co-founder Sherman Ho revealed that participants nowadays find it more difficult to commit to the eight-week programme, leading to the decision to end the initiative in November. The final batch of 84 participants, ranging from ages 18 to 80, will undergo the programme before its end. The initiative's success in smaller, more intimate settings during the pandemic prompted the organisers to rethink the programme's structure. Ho believes that participants need intimate settings to fully grasp the concepts and skills taught, as they are unique and valuable individuals with personal experiences to share. The programme, which shifted online due to the pandemic, has emphasized teaching skills participants can apply in their own lives. Despite the closure of Well-Being Circles, Happiness Initiative will continue to run other well-being programmes for schools and workplaces.",
  "summary": "The grassroots mental wellness programme has reached more than 1,000 participants from ages 18 to 80.",
  "key_points": [
    "Well-Being Circles mental wellness program ends after 5 years",
    "Initiative reached over 1,000 participants aged 18 to 80",
    "Co-founder Sherman Ho cites difficulty in participant commitment"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The conclusion of Well-Being Circles marks a shift in Happiness Initiative's focus away from public mental wellness programmes, potentially leaving participants to seek alternative support.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Happiness Initiative’s Well-Being Circles to conclude after 5 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/happiness-initiatives-well-being-circles-to-conclude-after-5-years-12325122",
        "published": "2026-10-06T06:55:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}