The Building Brighter Futures Fund

In June, Maudsley Charity will launch its new Building Brighter Futures fund aimed at improving the mental health of children and young people aged 10-19 who are living in the most challenging circumstances and who face complex difficulties. 

You are invited to connection workshops as the Charity brings together organisations like yours which provide services to support the mental health of children and young people in south London. 

Maudsley Charity is pleased to be delivering the connection workshops in partnership with Institute of Voluntary Action Research (IVAR). 

The purpose of the connection workshop is to: 

• Explain more about the Building Brighter Futures fund and how you can apply; 
• Bring together different people and organisations working with children and young people from across South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College London, the Integrated Care Systems of south east and south west London, and local and national voluntary and community organisations; 
• Discover our shared interests and encourage fresh thinking together on the problems and ways forward; 
• Build connections with those interested in developing collaborative funding applications. 

Who should attend? 

Groups and organisations working with children and young people aged 10-19 years who are experiencing emerging and developing mental health difficulties; and who have an interest in collaborating with others in this field in Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, and Croydon. 

This is not just an information session. The Charity wants attendees to actively contribute to conversations and ideas about supporting children and young people’s mental health in south London.  

It is also important that those attending can make decisions about and/or contribute to a discussion about the potential for their group or organisation to work as part of a collaboration. To keep the numbers of attendees manageable, the Charity may need to discuss with you who is best placed to represent your team or organisation. 

For voluntary and community organisations/groups, Maudsley Charity can provide £60 as a contribution towards the costs of attending. Payment forms will be made available on the day. 

How do I sign up? 

Please book a place as soon as possible on one of the workshops via the relevant Eventbrite link below. It would be best to attend a workshop in the borough you are working in/would like to work in. This is not essential, for example, if you work across multiple boroughs. You are free to choose a workshop that is convenient. 

• Lambeth: Thu 27 June, 1.00pm-5.00pm with lunch at Brixton House, 385 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8GL 
• Croydon: Wed 10 July, 9.30am-2.00pm with lunch at London South Bank University Croydon, Electric House, 3 Wellesley Road, Croydon CR0 2AG 

When you register, you’ll be asked about dietary requirements and access requirements.  

Please note, you do not need to attend a workshop to apply to the Building Brighter Futures fund. 

About the Building Brighter Futures Fund 

Building Brighter Futures is a £10 million fund, launching in June 2024, aimed at improving the mental health of children and young people who are living in the most challenging circumstances and who face complex difficulties. It will focus on 10–19-year-olds experiencing emerging and developing mental health difficulties and affected by one or more of the following risk factors: 

• Living in deprivation 
• Vulnerable family circumstances 
• Impacted by racism and/or discrimination 
• Neurodiversity or learning disabilities 
• Substance use 

This focus has been shaped by people working with children and young people across south London and by the Charity's own consultations with a group of children and young people. 

What we are looking for 

The Charity strongly encourages proposals that involve cross-sector collaborations i.e. a mix of organisations. Their research shows that more collaboration is needed to bring innovative thinking and effective approaches to respond to multiple risk factors and address complex problems. The Charity is open to different collaborations and partnerships, but we will not exclude single applicants. 

It is important that applicants to Building Brighter Futures use a co-production approach. Proposals should be shaped from the start with the significant involvement of children and young people, their families or carers, the wider community and the varied professionals who support them. 

Building Brighter Futures opens for Expressions of Interest on Monday 24 June. The call closes on Wednesday 18 September. 

Click here for more information about the Building Brighter Futures fund.