South London funder Maudsley Charity has awarded £7.5m its biggest single tranche of funding to 11 projects involving approximately 50 organisations in Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Croydon through its Building Brighter Futures programme. The programme supports delivery of the right care at the right time to young people facing emerging mental health difficulties by funding collaborations between trusted local organisations and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Kings’ College London. The charity’s approach is grounded in feedback from across the mental health sector that by working together organisations will be better able to address complex problems, drawing on a range of thinking and sharing of expertise.
Reflecting on the announcement, Maudsley Charity CEO Sarah Holloway said:
“Between 22/23 and 23/24, there was a 76% increase in referrals of children and young people to services at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. There clearly is an urgent need for innovation in youth mental health and new models of collaboration that also engage with young people, families and communities in shaping solutions that will help prevent people’s needs getting to crisis point. That’s why we’re delighted to be funding 11 projects that can do just that.
“This is the first part of our five-year focus on the mental health needs of children and young people, and our largest single tranche of programme funding to date. We look forward to sharing learning from these projects and working with partners to sustain and extend their impact.”
Building Brighter Futures focuses on children and young people aged 10-19 living in the most challenging circumstances and facing complex difficulties including deprivation, vulnerable family circumstances, racism and discrimination, neurodiversity or learning disabilities, and substance use. This focus emerged from evidence that 50% of mental health conditions are established during adolescence, and that there are clear inequalities in levels of mental illness, experiences and treatment outcomes particularly for young people facing deprivation and racism.
The projects’ focus on addressing issues at the right time and delivering care in community settings aligns with the key aims of the government’s 10-year health plan for England. The organisations are delivering their services in youth clubs, community centres, GP practices and schools and are working not just with young people, but with their families. The approaches being used include building the confidence and capability of youth workers, mentoring young people, involving them in social action projects, supporting school attendance for those who are struggling, and engaging them in drama, music and sport. The projects also include use of digital platforms to expand access to support.
With collaboration as a key feature of the programme, Maudsley Charity helped applicants come together across the NHS, research and community organisations. The charity held a series of connection workshops at the launch of the programme, co-facilitated by the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR). 191 people from 113 organisations attended and explored solutions and possible collaborations. Interested organisations then invested
time over a 6-month period to form partnerships and develop proposals in consultation with young people and their families, supported by a grant from the charity. Young people were also involved in the charity’s selection of the final awarded projects through a group of Young Advisors convened by Leaders Unlocked.
Georgina Chatfield, Programme Manager for Building Brighter Futures has high hopes for the projects.
“By investing in co-production and collaborative working, project ideas have been informed and shaped by the very children and young people we want to help. We are confident that we have selected projects that are relevant, equitable, and poised to deliver meaningful change.”
The successful partnerships will deliver their projects over the next three to four years and are set to make a significant and lasting impact across south London by establishing better connections across the mental healthcare system. Supporting appropriate access to mental health services; and exploring innovative approaches to mental health support to address intense and growing demand from young people who may currently be missed by the system.
For a full list of the funded organisations and their projects, visit: https://maudsleycharity.org/our-grants/building-brighter-futures/