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One in five children and young people in England has a probable mental health disorder, and the number of children and young people in contact with mental health services has more than doubled since 2018.

This reflects a changing world for young people. The lasting impacts of Covid-19 lockdowns, increasing poverty, climate anxiety and the rapid evolution of the digital world are just some of the issues reshaping young lives.

At Anna Freud, we are dedicated to transforming the mental health of the next generation and believe it is never too soon to act. Our mission is twofold: to prevent mental health challenges before they begin and collaborating to ensure children, young people, and their families receive the right support at the right time.

Our founder, Anna Freud, was a trailblazer who dedicated her life to helping children and young people. Today, we continue her legacy. Led by the latest science and guided by young people, parents and carers, we create innovative, evidence-based approaches to mental health care, research, training, and resources.

We deliver direct support to school and college students alongside highly specialised support for children and young people who have faced traumatic events. We also design preventative programs to foster resilience and improve wellbeing in young people. In the last year, we’ve trained over 21,000 clinicians, supported over 500 postgraduate students and reached nearly 40,500 education professionals supporting children and young people’s mental health.

Thank you for watching our appeal - every £1 raised will be matched by generous supporters of Anna Freud up to a maximum of £20,000. With your help, we can transform children and young people’s lives.

Hello, I’m Dr Alex George and I’m very proud to support Anna Freud’s ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Lifeline Appeal. 

As the UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador, I’m dedicated to raising awareness of the issues young people are facing today and the impact on their mental health and wellbeing. This means Anna Freud’s ambition to ensure children and young people get the right support at the right time resonates deeply with me.  

During the pandemic, I worked with this incredible charity to help schools and colleges become more mentally healthy. With requests from young people for mental health services continuing to rise, it’s more important now than ever to provide evidence-based help at the earliest possible stage. Everything Anna Freud does – from training and trauma-informed specialist support to innovative research and resources – is focused on this aim. 

Please give your support today and help Anna Freud build better wellbeing for the next generation.

14-year-old Kayden struggled with the transition to secondary school. He has emotional difficulties, as he needed to live with his nan Dee from a young age, and ADHD. Being in a bigger school made him feel anxious, which impacted his behaviour, and he was excluded. 

In 2022, Kayden joined the Pears Family School. Founded and sponsored by Anna Freud, the school helps children with emotional and behavioural difficulties return to the education that’s right for them.

Expert staff supported Kayden to build social and emotional skills, including resilience. Parents and carers are invited to the school for training and support, so Dee could help embed these changes at home. Anna Freud wants all schools to be mentally healthy, which means creating a culture – like in Pears Family School - that prioritises belonging and relationships. 

Kayden, who is an aspiring actor, recently returned to mainstream education. He credits the school with improving his confidence and helping him own his behaviour. 

As a child, Sarah experienced abuse which had a major impact on her mental health and wellbeing, particularly as she became a teenager. These traumatic experiences affected her mood, self-esteem and relationships, and she had thoughts of suicide. 

After going through trauma-focused therapy at 19, Sarah decided she wanted to use her experience to help others. This led to Sarah working with the UK Trauma Council (UKTC), an Anna Freud project that aims to radically improve the help children and young people receive following traumatic events. This involved coproducing resources for others dealing with trauma, sharing her experience to show what can help. 

Some of the UK’s leading trauma experts are members of the UKTC, and collaborating with them inspired Sarah to work in mental health. She is now a wellbeing practitioner in the NHS, supporting people with anxiety and depression. 

After attending a school where she experienced a highly competitive and pressurised culture, Thea developed anxiety and depression as a teenager. She remembers staying up for hours at night, crying and confused about her feelings. The challenges escalated and she nearly dropped out of sixth form. 

With therapy, medication and support from her family, Thea finished her A-Levels and went to university to study psychology. During her studies, she discovered Anna Freud – a leading expert in the field - and their Young Champions programme. 

As a Young Champion, she has shared her experience of mental health challenges to help shape the charity’s influencing activity and research, ensuring resources meet the needs of young people and their voices are heard. She has also received training through the role and undertaken work experience, developing skills to use professionally. 

Thea recently finished her degree and aspires to become a clinical psychologist, supporting other young people experiencing mental health difficulties.