Charities secure City of London funding partnership

Place2be and OnSide Youth Zones, together with Samaritans, have been chosen for the initiative which will see the charitable appeal support three organisations over three years for the first time.   

The Lord Mayor's Appeal, one of the most established charities in the City of London, is hoping to split its projected annual fundraising target of £1.5m between the three charities until 2020.

The move forms part of its wider strategy, A Better City For All, which aims to transform one million lives in London affected by disadvantage and inequality.

Place2be said it expected to reach more than 80,000 children through the new partnership by equipping 360 school leaders with the skills and knowledge to develop their school's mental health strategy and to support their pupils' emotional wellbeing.

The funding will also help support the recruitment and training of volunteer mental health professionals who will work with 20,000 children and young people in schools over a five-year period.

Catherine Roche, chief executive of Place2Be, said: "Through this unique partnership with the Lord Mayor's Appeal, we will work with more London schools so that children facing mental health difficulties can thrive and reach their potential.

"Every child or young person who needs it should have access to high-quality support, so we are thrilled that thanks to the Lord Mayor's Appeal, we will have the opportunity to train the next generation of mental health professionals."

OnSide Youth Zones, which plans to open a new youth zone in Croydon next year, said the funding would help it to develop further sites it has planned for Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Hammersmith and Fulham and Haringey.

Kathryn Morley, OnSide Youth Zones chief executive, said the partnership would boost the charity's profile particularly in London where it planned to open the zones over the next two to three years.

"We will be using the funding to help get young Londoners work ready," she said. "There's a huge opportunity to help them reach the jobs market upskilling them, giving them one-to-one support and mentoring them."

Morley said young people with disabilities would also be helped through the provision of specialist equipment.

Funds raised for Samaritans will go towards developing an online support programme for workers in the City as well as creating new volunteering opportunities.