This year your support has enabled us to reach more young people than ever before, giving them and their families hope for a brighter future

Over the school year September 2022-July 2023, we delivered our programme of intensive one-to-one support to 66 young people with complex mental health needs, and supported 79 young people through our Summer Project and Kick Start projects. We also taught 1560 school pupils how to look after their mental health through our Make Me Smile project.

We were thrilled that our co-founder and Chief Executive, Susie Besant, was awarded the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire Award 2023, in recognition of the outstanding contribution she has made to her community, and for going above and beyond to support young people from challenged backgrounds. We were also delighted to be selected as finalists in the high profile Centre for Social Justice Awards, which honour the best grassroots, poverty-fighting charities and social enterprises across Britain.

Your support is changing young people’s lives

“Education has a huge effect on your life chances. As well as being likely to lead to better wages, higher levels of education are linked with better health, wealth and even happiness. It should be a way for children from deprived backgrounds to escape poverty.” (IFS, August 2022)

The numbers of children not regularly attending school has risen dramatically in recent years and is of serious concern. We work to re-integrate the most social excluded children and young people back into their school and community; those who are marginalised and disadvantaged through a variety of circumstances. We won’t give up.

This year, your support has helped us to fund young people who otherwise would fall through the gap, and has enabled us to run our projects in schools. We have also employed three new members of staff to support children and young people in Buckinghamshire – we hope to expand our team to reach even more young people over the next two years.

Thank you!

Susie Besant

Chief Executive