It is widely known we have a mental health pandemic amongst young people. It is not always easy to ask for help – besides the wait times and costs, the barriers of going to see a professional, get assessed, or overcome stigma are real. This is the issue of our time and existing services are struggling to meet the demand. We founded Stop.Breathe.Think because we could not find any other charitable organisation offering youth-led support at the level or speed that was needed.

We are seeing every day the positive impact our vital service is having on young people who need support with their mental health right now. Getting support to them early and avoiding long waiting lists prevents the downward spiral into mental health struggles, which never just affects the young person, and goes on to put strain on their families as well as the education and health sector. We know the model works, and with support, we can change lives and save many others.