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SOMEONE TO TALK TO
– OUR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMME

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The importance of children’s mental health

According to the NHS there is an average of an 18 week waiting time for referrals to be seen by a mental health professional. In the last two years these waiting times have dramatically increased because of the pressure on the NHS from the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Our partners have found that these wait times can be too long for children and can only increase the deterioration of their mental health meaning that waiting for 18 weeks or more to see a mental health professional can have a lasting impact on children.



Between April and December 2020, there was a total of 193 likely child suicides in the UK, self-harm rate in children aged between nine and twelve has doubled in the last six years and a survey of secondary school children by Place2Be, a charity that offers counselling in schools, shows self-harm reports rose 77%.

Our Someone To Talk To mental health programme funds counselling sessions that are free for children 

We want to ensure that children and young people get the support they need. By funding mental health support services, we know that our mental health programme is providing much needed mental health services to children around the UK. 
 
Little Lives UK funds and works closely with our partners and other support giving organisations to make sure that children around the UK can receive professional mental health support, such as free one-to-one counselling, when they need it. 
 
Every child deserves the best start in life filled with happiness, laughter fun and joy.
A kid talking to an adult about her thoughts and feelings
Children have benefited
from free mental health
sessions through
Someone To Talk To
A kid receiving mental health counselling

Funding 40 therapy sessions for Tiny Tim’s Children Centre

Our donation to Tiny Tim’s Children Centre ensured that 40 children from low-income families could receive free counselling sessions. The main beneficiaries of Tiny Tim’s are children who suffer from muscular disabilities, respiratory problems, behavioural issues, sensory/physical impairment, and incurable conditions.

Counselling sessions are an invaluable way to improve their quality of life by boosting self-esteem and reducing pain. 

‘Someone To Talk To’
mental health programme partners

ReWellness Logo

ReWellness Counselling Adults & Children

Rewellness are a children and family counselling service based in Poole who provide one-to-one and group sessions to children who are in need of guidance and mental health support.

Their aim is to support as many children and families in the area as possible by providing a confidential, professional and caring service that help to address any mental health concerns they may have.

Dorset Mind Charity

Dorset Mind

The work of Dorset Mind is vital in ensuring that young people do have someone to talk to when they need help with their mental health. Especially as the cases of poor mental health are now rising, Dorset Mind’s job has never been harder or more needed.

Teen in crisis

Teens In Crisis+

Teens In Crisis+ is a charity that was founded in 1993 to help support, maintain and better the mental wellbeing of those in the area that are struggling or are at risk of struggling with mental health concerns.
They are in important link to vital services in a largely rural area that is often neglected when it comes to funding and support for mental health services.

Shine21 logo

Shine21

Based in Haxby in Yorkshire, Shine21 are doing some amazing work in supporting families who have a child who has Down’s Syndrome.

Shine21 believe that parents are pivotal to their child’s development and work closely with parents and carers to offer advice, support, reassurance and to ensure they are well prepared to help their child reach their potential.

Children Heard and Seen Logo

Children Heard and Seen

Children Heard and Seen work closely with children whose parent or parents are in prison and offer one-to-one sessions with them to ensure that their needs are being met. The sessions are run to improve their self-esteem and their confidence, improve their mental wellbeing, give them a chance to talk about their feelings in a safe space and help to alleviate any issues they may have.

Via Wings Logo

Via Wings

Via Wings are a Northern Ireland based charity that aims to support those in their community who are living with disability, at risk of exclusion, have or may potentially have mental health concerns and those who are risk of social isolation. They work with local community leaders and other charities and organisations to ensure that everyone in society is helped in a non-judgemental way.

The Maze Academy Logo

The Maze Academy

Maze Org CIC are the charitable arm of the Maze Academy in Cricklewood, London. Here, they aim to support every child with the learning, regardless of background. 75% of the families who contact the academy are from a low-income household and are not able to afford paid intervention. Maze Org CIC helps these families to gain access to intervention services.


Mentor Link

The Mentor Link

The Mentor Link in Stourport on Severn provides one to one social and emotional support to distressed, disadvantaged and vulnerable children by providing them with a mentor. There is a broad spectrum of issues and challenges that ML help children overcome and manage each day.

Mindstars

Mindstars

Based in North Shields, Mindstars (NE) CIC support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people by working with local schools, parents, carers and the community to deliver a full-circle approach. MS use proactive early education to help reduce the long-term effects of mental health issues win adulthood by working and focusing on children at primary school age. Learning how to manage mental wellbeing at a young age is essential and will improve the future potential for young children.

Cruse Bereavement Scotland

Cruse Bereavement Scotland

Cruse Scotland is a charity based in Edinburgh who are dedicated to supporting those dealing with bereavement and the loss of a loved one. They are the only organisation delivery a range of free grief counselling, support and information across the country. Every year CS support 5,000 bereaved individuals in Scotland get their lives back on track by offering, counselling, advice, a helpline service and web chat service.

Cells Project CIO

Cells Project CIO

We are pleased to announce a donation of £2,200 to CELLS Project CIO for mentoring sessions for ten disadvantaged children and young people aged 11-17 for 20 weeks.

The weekly sessions will be one to one and will support them in overcoming behavioural issues that stem from injurious home lives, exploitation and exploitation from gangs.

Family Journeys - Logo

Family Journeys

Based in Edinburgh in Scotland, Family Journeys are a mental health charity that have supported vulnerable families in Scotland since the early 1980s.  They support families whose parents are struggling with addiction, complex family conflict, separation and divorce; all which can have a devastating effect on young people and children. Family Journeys provide consistent non-judgemental children’s contact centres, children’s groups, mediation and support for the families.

The Listening Ear

Their mission is to provide a professional and confidential service to the children and young people in our community; empowering them to manage stress and anxiety; and therefore, develop an improved quality of life.

The Listening Ear service has been acknowledged by both the BCP council and local schools to be an effective support for mental health and well-being.

Hey-Logo

Hey! The Mental Health Charity

With a £2,200 donation from Little Lives UK, Hey! The Mental Health Charity For Children and Young People will be able to continue running their Hey! Let’s Talk project, which will see that 12 young people between the ages of 5 and 25 years old and their families are supported with specialist counselling over a six week period.

SayIt Logo

SAYiT

SAYiT based in Sheffield have been supporting people from the LGBTQ+ community since 1999 with the core aim to transform the lives of young people who are LGBTQ+ or who are affected by HIV through supportive group work, youth action, education and influence.

The Family Haven Logo

The Family Haven

The Family Haven in Gloucestershire support families in the area who are homeless, living in unsuitable accommodation or are stuck in poverty as a result of their economic and social circumstances. They aim to empower families, broaden life experiences, improve mental health of parents and children, improve opportunities and encourage development of new skills for parents and children.

London Children’s Practice

London Children’s Practice

Based in South West London, the London Children’s Practice have been supporting children and young people in London since 2009. They work as a multidisciplinary clinic that offers comprehensive assessments, diagnostics and intervention services for families and children who are in need of support.

U-Evolve logo

U-evolve

U-evolve are based in Edinburgh and are a grassroots mental health charity that support children and young people with 1-to-1 sessions and group support. They specialise in supporting children with multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). A lot of the young people that are supported by U-evolve are offending in the community, taking great risks and withdrawing from positive influences.

Treasure Basket Association

Treasure Basket Association

The TBA were founded to help the local community to break the cycle of poor mental health, low educational achievement and poverty affecting children. The TBA are running free one-to-one sessions with a therapist and group play with a play practitioner at Neywood Junior School.

Rising Sun Domestic Violence & Abuse Charity Logo

The Rising Sun Domestic Violence & Abuse service

The Rising Sun Domestic Violence & Abuse service in Kent addresses domestic violence and provides services, for adults, children and families. Children living with domestic abuse are at increased risk of experiencing emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and of developing emotional and behaviour problems.

Life and Soul Youth Work logo

Life and Soul Youth Work

NHS figures show that the number of under-18s in contact with NHS mental health services in England increased by nearly 30% in the last year. Life and Soul Youth Work of Tunbridge Wells work with children and young people aged 9-18 years.

Ways to support ‘Someone to talk to’
mental health programme

Donate Funds

You can donate funds easily on our website. Any donation guarantees that more children in need can gain access to vital mental health services.

Fundraise for us

Raise money to support our campaign and help your community by contributing to our mental health programme which gives children access to the mental health services they need.

Partner with us

If you run a charity, organisation or a company and want to make a lasting difference, then we want to partner with you. Partnering with Little Lives UK means that by working together, our mental health campaign can be supported over a longer term and more children can be helped.

Recommend our campaign

By letting people know about the work we do for children, we can have the potential to work with more mental health professionals and support as many children as possible.

Talk about our work 

One of the simplest ways to support us is to share the work we do. Share our campaign on social media, on your blogs and mention us on your website to tell people about the work we do for children around the UK and help us to reach more people.

Support us with your friends

Do you or the people you work or live with want to be involved in working with us to further our work and support children with their mental health? You and your friends  can help to support us by fundraising, volunteering or simply telling people about our campaign.