We need a fresh approach
Poor mental health denies too many young people of their full potential, leaving them disengaged, sidelined from life.
We invest in accessible, community-based mental health support that transforms young lives.
We look for evidence-based approaches combining structured therapeutic activities using nature, creativity or physical activity with guided relational support from trusted adults.
These approaches engage young people in ways clinical services don't.
They help young people build trust, empathy, emotional regulation, self-efficacy and a sense of belonging.
They respond to the growing need for earlier, less intensive and more accessible forms of provision beyond specialist clinical settings.
Our vision is to unlock the potential of these pioneering approaches to give more young people the scaffolding to re-engage.
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I’ve always thought I was broken, that I couldn’t change. But drama has shown me I can be more than my mental health struggles. I can be creative, I can express myself, I can be part of something. That gives me hope.
Odd Arts participant
A fresh approach
We invest in innovative approaches that transform young people’s lives and help them rebuild their social capital*.
We back evidence-based approaches rooted in nature, creativity and sport.
We look for approaches which combine structured therapeutic activities and trusted adult support in community settings.
These approaches help young people build trust, empathy, emotional regulation, self-efficacy, resilience and a sense of belonging.
They’re a lifeline for those who feel disempowered, unable to identify with or access conventional mental health services.
They offer motivating, strengths-based, non-stigmatising pathways towards improved mental health.
Our vision is to unlock the potential of these pioneering approaches to give young people the scaffolding to re-engage with life and return to education, training, volunteering or work.
* See “Social thinning in a digital age: The case for rebuilding the social foundations of adolescence”, 2025, E. McCrory, CEO Anna Freud, and Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology, UCL and R. Chokhani, PhD student, UCL - Wellcome programme in Mental Health Science
Therapy that doesn’t feel like therapy.
The Wave Project