Dear Andy Burnham
An open letter to the Prime Minister calling for urgent action to protect the future of youth mental health support in the UK.
Young people's mental health cannot wait.
This week, youth suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS entered administration.
For years, charities and grassroots organisations have stepped in where systems have fallen short — providing prevention, education, early intervention and support to young people across the country.
But the organisations supporting young people's mental health need support too.
PAPYRUS entering administration cannot simply become another devastating headline.
This MUST be a turning point.
We are asking for three things.
01 — Protect the services young people rely on.
When an organisation providing essential support suddenly disappears, the young people relying on those services cannot simply disappear with it.
We're calling on the Government to urgently assess the gaps left by PAPYRUS and establish a clear mechanism for identifying and protecting nationally significant charitable services. This is especially important when their sudden loss could leave young people without support.
Young people shouldn't lose support because the organisation providing it can no longer afford to survive.
02 — Fix the way youth mental health charities are funded.
PAPYRUS must be a wake-up call.
Across the country, charities are being asked to tackle enormous social challenges while surviving from one short-term grant to another.
That is not sustainable.
We're calling for a review of how youth mental health charities are funded, including greater access to multi-year core funding and sustainable commissioning.
Prevention and early intervention should be treated as essential parts of our mental health infrastructure — not optional extras dependent on whether a charity wins its next grant.
03 — Put young people and the sector at the heart of what comes next.
Decisions about young people's mental health cannot continue to happen without young people in the room.
We're asking the Prime Minister to convene a national roundtable bringing together young people, charities large and small, grassroots organisations, the NHS, schools, professionals and Government.
Not another conversation about young people. A conversation with us.
And one that results in a long-term plan for how Government, public services and the voluntary sector work together to support the mental health of the next generation.
Add your name
This letter shouldn't come from Spark UK alone.
We want young people, mental health professionals, teachers, youth workers, parents, charities, community organisations and organisations across the UK to stand with us.
Whether you're signing as an individual or on behalf of an organisation, add your name and help us demonstrate that the future of youth mental health cannot be ignored.
Share the letter with your friends, colleagues and networks.
The more voices standing behind these three asks, the harder they become to ignore.
We have also created a social media kit, for you to share the campaign with your networks & followers.
Young people's mental health cannot wait.
Already signed?
Read the open letter
Dear Andy Burnham,
Earlier this week, the news broke that youth suicide prevention charity, PAPYRUS, went into administration. This news broke the same week as world suicide prevention day, a day dedicated to raising awareness and strengthening efforts to prevent suicide around the world.
For years, the third sector has been filling gaps in our mental health system: providing early intervention, creating trusted spaces, educating communities and being there for young people when they don't know where else to turn.
Six years ago, we founded this charity as teenagers. Since then, we've balanced growing up in modern Britain with building a grassroots movement for national change. We know this sector is powered by extraordinary determination. But determination alone cannot pay staff, keep services running, or provide organisations with the security they need to support young people in the long term.
PAPYRUS entering administration should not simply become another sad headline. It must be a turning point for this sector.
We have three asks of your Government.
Protect the services young people rely on
No young person should lose access to life-saving support because a charity can no longer feasibly afford to operate.
The Government must urgently address the gap left by PAPYRUS and put safeguards in place to protect essential youth mental health and prevention services.
Nationally significant charitable programmes should not be allowed to disappear overnight; the power to change this in your hands. A robust mechanism is needed to identify, protect and sustain services that young people depend on.
2. Fix the way youth mental health charities are funded
PAPYRUS must be a wake-up call about the financial fragility of the wider youth mental health sector.
Too many organisations are expected to tackle enormous social challenges while surviving from one short-term grant to another. Charities cannot build sustainable services, retain talented people or plan for the future when their own future is constantly uncertain.
This current approach to funding youth mental health charities is unsustainable and has been for some time. We are calling for a fundamental review that prioritises multi-year core funding and stable commissioning models, giving organisations the certainty they need to deliver vital support to young people.
3. Put young people and the sector at the heart of what comes next
Young people are not just the future. They are the present.
We are calling on you to convene an urgent national roundtable on the future of youth mental health. Bring together Government, the NHS, schools, charities, grassroots organisations, mental health professionals and, most importantly, young people themselves.
This must not be a conversation about young people. It must be a conversation with them. And it cannot end with another report or set of recommendations. It must lead to action: a long-term, cross-sector plan for how Government, public services and the voluntary sector will work together to support young people's mental health.
For too long, rising demand has been met with reviews, promises and short-term solutions, while the organisations providing support face increasing financial pressure and uncertainty.
The collapse of vital services is not inevitable. It is a policy choice. And this moment can be a turning point.
Bring us together. Listen to the sector. Listen to young people. Together, we can build a system where every young person can access the support they need, and where the organisations delivering that support are secure, sustainable and able to thrive for the long term.
Signed by
Spark UK
Beyond
FlippGen
North Devon Voluntary Services
ootiboo
Conor Warren - Chief Executive Officer, Spark UK
Bridie Downing - Head of Research, Spark UK
Cristina Castro - Chair of Trustee, Spark UK
Paul Hanmore - Trustee, Spark UK
Laura Bradnam - Trustee, Spark UK
Donna Fisher - Trustee, Spark UK
Louisa Rose - Chief Executive Officer, Beyond
Stefano Di Rico - Mental Health Campaigner
Paddy Crump - Campaigns Director, FlippGen
R. Gordon R. McInally - Past President of Rotary International
Rebecca McInally - Mental Health Professional
Abi Aldridge - Charity Professional
Marie Gould - Chief Executive Officer, North Devon Voluntary Services
Angus Cameron - Creative Director and Co-Founder, ootiboo