Getting the Basics Right for Healthy Young Minds
Across Norfolk, youth organisations are doing vital work to keep young people safe, connected and well.
But recent changes from large national grant funders has left many under pressure. In our recent Healthy Young Minds Coalition member survey, 74% of groups told us that funding is their biggest challenge. Rising costs, short‑term grants and limited funding for core activities make it harder to sustain the regular support that young people rely on.
Communities are clear about what they need, telling us they need unrestricted funding to cover staff time, space, utilities and planning. It gives them the headroom to build trusted relationships and gives young people more stability.
Through the most recent Healthy Young Minds funding round, the Foundation responded by backing activities that are already working and prioritising therapeutic support. We focused on helping groups provide the consistent support that keeps young people engaged and helps their mental wellbeing improve.
At Cadge Road Youth Group, run by The Henderson Trust, funding will support their weekly youth group. It offers a safe, welcoming space with trained youth workers on hand. Young people take part in arts, cooking, games and sports, alongside regular reflective sessions focused on wellbeing and mental health. Many attendees experience anxiety, stress or are not in formal schooling. They consistently tell staff that the group helps their mental health, both through structured activities and through having trusted adults who listen and talk with them.
Core funding also strengthens more specialist support. Nelson’s Journey, the only child bereavement service in Norfolk, received funding towards its support services. The charity will be able to continue to provide one‑to‑one sessions, group activities, early support following a death and advice for families and schools. With an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 bereaved children and young people in Norfolk, timely, ongoing support can prevent long‑term mental health difficulties. Like the Foundation, Nelson’s Journey are data-focused, and show how their support has improved self‑esteem, reduced isolation and better communication for the young people they support.
Funding the everyday work of trusted local groups makes a real difference. Through the Healthy Young Minds Coalition, we will continue to listen to the challenges facing young people and those who support them. Through the Healthy Young Minds Fund, we put that theory into practice, acting on local insight and focusing support where it helps local charities and community groups do what they do best.
Find out more about Healthy Young Minds, or support this work by donating or partnering with us.
