Mental health charities you can support with TheGivingMachine

Mental health is an issue that a majority of people will come into contact with at some stage in their life, whether it be directly or through a friend or family member struggling with an issue. With work covering everything from raising awareness of conditions to providing resources that help individuals evaluate and address their needs, mental health charities offer vital support across the UK each year.

Mental health charities help to ease the burden that public services cannot always meet, providing valuable guidance whilst opening up the space for discussion around different conditions. To help give you an idea of the type of work these charities carry out and why it’s so important, we’ve compiled a list of charities that are working towards improving services, awareness and understanding around mental illness.

Since it was founded over 70 years ago in 1946, Mind has grown to become one of the UK’s leading mental health charities, with a national presence including over 150 charity shops and 140 Mind centres. With ‘Minds’ across a selection of communities, Mind works in partnership with each local area to ensure that needs and services are matched up, providing unique and high-quality resources. Services offered by Mind include talking therapy, peer support, advocacy, crisis care and employment support.

In addition to these services, the mental health charity also runs an information phone line from 9am-6pm on weekdays as well as Elefriends, an online community in which individuals are encouraged to speak openly about their mental health.

Mind’s tailored approach to mental health has been supported by many, with the charity participating in a number of campaigns addressing everything from crisis care to benefits. Stephen Fry, who himself has struggled with bipolar disorder, is the charity’s current President and ambassador, working with Mind towards ensuring that every person can receive the most immediate and effective care and attention, whether it be initial diagnosis or counselling and support.

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With over 50% of all mental health issues starting before the age of 14, it’s integral that young people have access to support at this critical time. Place2Be provide services in 282 primary and secondary schools, helping to build children’s resilience by through talking, playing and creative activities.

The mental health charity offers counselling and training in schools, teaching students how to cope with a broad range of social issues like bullying, domestic violence and trauma. Place2Be also offers parents advice on how best to support their children, providing parent counselling and parent partnership sessions intended to boost parents’ confidence in their ability to help their children. With children being much less likely to suffer from serious issues if they receive support at an early age, Place2Be’s work is important in ensuring the long-term wellbeing of young people.

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Time to Talk Mental Health UK is a fully private and confidential Facebook Community.

The community is highly interactive and fully moderated. They provide a safe place for people to talk about their mental health in confidence with others who understand.

In addition, Time to Talk Mental Health UK provide events, regular clubs and a library of resources.

The community enables consistent support, which is otherwise lacking in the mental health care package.

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Since it was formed in 1987, Together for Mental Wellbeing has been working towards helping people with mental health issues lead independent lives. Providing valuable services which meet the needs of roughly 4,000 people per month, Together runs a number of programmes that offer flexible support to suit a variety of needs, with their ‘Your Way’ community support scheme being offered in locations across the UK. The mental health charity also strongly believes that one’s living space is integral to recovery and therefore supports a range of accommodation services.

Vitally, Together additionally provide criminal justice services through working with legal agencies to help ensure that people with mental health problems receive sufficient support and treatment within the criminal justice system. Through their advocacy work, Together also represent people with mental health problems who might otherwise face prejudice, helping to communicate issues to their communities and specialist hospitals.

At the core of Together is the desire to offer those struggling with mental health issues with great choice and control over their form of care, helping to yield the best results in a way that individuals are most comfortable with.

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Mental Health Foundation’s aim is to promote a society in which everyone can benefit from good mental health. The charity has made it their mission to help individuals better understand and maintain their mental health. With projects tailored to a variety of individuals in different situations like working professionals and school children, Mental Health Foundation have implemented schemes like The Peer Education Project, a school programme aiming to give young people the skills they need to better manage their mental health and provide support to their peers.

Alongside valuable projects like their Peer Education Project, the charity publishes a number of mental health learning resources,  as well as offering a dedicated mindfulness website. In essence, Mental Health Foundation’s work is geared towards helping more people realise their full potential, have greater control over their lives and ultimately contribute to their communities and society. At the core of the charity’s initiatives is prevention, with Mental Health Foundation asserting that the best way to deal with a crisis is to prevent it initially occurring.

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Rethink’s vision is for equality, rights, the fair treatment and maximum quality of life for all those affected by mental illness, their carers, family and friends. As one of the largest charitable providers of services for people living with mental illness, Rethink are well placed to make a direct impact on the care people receive.

But they have a much larger vision too – to transform at every level the way our nation approaches mental illness. Every year, their diverse range of information and support helps tens of thousands of people get through crises, live independently and feel that they do not have to face mental illness alone.

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The Anna Freud Centre improves the lives of thousands of children and young people with mental health problems every year. It provides a vital lifeline for families under pressure and is the UK's only children's mental health organisation to combine practice, training and world-class research, with a focus on family well-being

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Playskill promote and protect the physical and mental health of children and young people with difficulties/disabilities with support, education, practical advice, recreational and leisure time activities designed to improve their conditions of life and that of their families. They also provide support and activities to develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society.

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PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is a UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional well-being in young people.

Suicide is the biggest killer of people aged 35 and under in the UK. They believe that suicide is preventable.

They are a leading youth suicide prevention charity in the UK. Their suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINEUK, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person – to help keep them safe from suicide. HOPELINEUK is a free and confidential call, text and email service, which is available from 9am to midnight, every day of the year.

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SOLVE's vision is to deliver accessible, affordable and meaningful community-based mental health services to those in need throughout East Kent and to provide support and empower anyone experiencing mental health struggles by offering community-based support groups and other services that will enable members to deal with everyday problems.

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UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation offer free mental health support and counselling to people between the ages of 18 and 35 who relate to the rock and alternative music scene with which the UPRAWR brand has become synonymous.

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The Curve Foundation's mission is to motivate, educate and inspire children and young adults on mental health issues.

They provide regular support through workshops, interactive sessions and signposting them for further help and guidance and raise awareness of mental health issues through their fundraising campaigns and projects.

You can generate donations for The Curve Foundation by shopping via TheGivingMachine.