Grants of up to £100,000 are available to organisations that increase young women's access to high-quality, age and gender specific mental health services.
Last year, more than £1mn was awarded to 11 charities that support young women's mental health through the programme.
What is the programme?
Previously known as the Young Women's Mental Health programme, Young Women in Mind was set up by the Pilgrim Trust in 2021 with a pledge of providing £5mn over five years. It funds charities supporting young women's mental health in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber regions of England, and Northern Ireland.
Who does it fund?
Charities that have developed targeted mental health support specifically for the needs of young women can apply. This means designing services that create safe spaces for young women, are delivered in a gender- and trauma-informed way, and with input from the young women themselves.
Pilgrim Trust offers grantees regular facilitated meet-ups to share best practice, to encourage collaboration and to build a supportive peer network. It aims to build on existing evidence of the value of age- and gender-specific mental health services.
How much is available?
Charities can apply for funding of between £60,000 and £100,000 spread over three years. This will cover costs related to project delivery, staffing, advocacy, training and evaluation.
Why focus on women?
The trust highlights that young women aged 16-25 are the highest risk group for mental ill health and self-harm at more than twice the rate of young men.
They face particular challenges which are exacerbated by social factors and structural inequalities including: lower income, caring responsibilities, perinatal mental health issues, domestic violence, sexual abuse, age discrimination and misogyny.
The Young Women in Mind grant programme aims to find effective ways to address the impact of such experiences on young women's mental health.
What is the timeframe?
Applications for the 2025 programme open in May.
According to the Pilgrim Trust website, the usual deadlines for the programme are July for stage one and August for stage two. Final decisions are made in November.
For the 2024 programme, 31% of stage one applications were successful rising to 52% for those at stage two.
Who should apply?
For organisations to apply they must work directly with young women aged 16-25 and offer age-, gender- and trauma-informed mental health services. They should also provide safe, women-only services and/or spaces that are accessible and be committed to equality. Applicants should also involve beneficiaries in the design of services.
They should create a fully integrated “wrap around” programme of support and ensure it is embedded in the community. There should also be a reach beyond the immediate beneficiaries of the work.
Detailed funding guidance can be found here www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Young-Women-in-Mind-Grant-Guidelines-2024-Final-1-1.pdf
Who was funded in 2024?
The 11 charities funded through the programme last year included:
- £95k for the Maternal Mental Health Alliance in partnership with Sunderland Counselling Service and Ways to Wellness to fund a specialist young mothers link worker provision in the North East that will provide a dedicated resource for young mothers to support their mental health recovery.
- £95k for Invictus Wellbeing Foundation to develop an existing support pathway, specifically for women and girls living in Calderdale. Staff will be given additional training around cultural competency, working with victims of sexual and domestic abuse and other gender-specific forms of abuse.
- £100k for Women's Health Matters to establish art therapy groups for young women aged 16-25 from disadvantaged communities across Leeds who have mental health issues. Groups will be led by an art psychotherapist, who will assess needs and refer to other services where necessary.
Funding roundup
Greenwich Hospital has awarded a three-year grant to The Naval Children's Charity to support children and young people through its Life Chances programme. The programme provides support for all Naval children, not just those in crisis, offering opportunities to enhance their education, wellbeing and personal development.
PXC held their annual Night of Ambition event in London, raising £330,000 for the Ambitious about Autism charity. The evening was focused on pledging support to Ambitious about Autism's Assistive Technology initiative which aims to improve access to learning, independence and participation through technology for autistic children.
Richmond Foundation has awarded £1mn to help narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged children from low-income families and their peers. This is Richmond Foundation's first partnership grant, developed with schools, Achieving for Children, and community organisations. The Foundation has awarded three grants to Darell Primary and Nursery School, Richmond Park and Barnes Primary School.
Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti (F&LI) Foundation has launched in the UK, backed by the Innocenti family. F&LI Foundation will support young people aged 11-25 who have experienced disadvantages to discover new passions, have fun and find purpose in life. The first partnerships announced by F&LI Foundation include BBC Children in Need and Big Change.
