The Centre for Mental Health and independent charity The King’s Fund have been appointed as learning and support partners for an ambitious new initiative funded by Maudsley Charity. The Building Brighter Futures programme aims to transform mental health outcomes for children and young people facing the most complex challenges.
Backed by a five-year funding commitment from Maudsley Charity, the programme will focus on improving access to, and quality of, mental health support for 10–19-year-olds living in difficult circumstances. Its delivery spans four south London boroughs (Southwark, Lewisham, Lambeth and Croydon) where demand for youth mental health services has been rising sharply.
Driving collaboration across sectors
A central pillar of Building Brighter Futures is its emphasis on partnership working. The programme brings together the NHS, community organisations and academic researchers to co-design and test innovative approaches to care.
By fostering collaboration between statutory services and grassroots organisations, the programme aims to identify scalable models that can both prevent mental ill health and provide effective treatment when needed. This joined-up approach reflects a broader shift across the health system towards place-based, integrated care.
Addressing inequalities in youth mental health
The initiative also directly responds to widening inequalities in mental health outcomes. Evidence consistently shows that children and young people from disadvantaged or minoritised backgrounds are more likely to experience poor mental health and face barriers to accessing support.
Building Brighter Futures will prioritise interventions that are accessible, culturally appropriate and evidence-based. By focusing on early intervention and prevention, the programme seeks to ensure that all young people – regardless of background – have the opportunity for a healthy start in life.
Responding to rising demand
Demand for children and young people’s mental health services has increased significantly in recent years, placing growing pressure on NHS provision. The programme aims to generate practical insights and learning that can inform national policy and frontline delivery.
As part of this, the Centre for Mental Health and The King’s Fund will provide ongoing evaluation, capturing what works and supporting continuous improvement across funded projects.
Adetola Obateru, Researcher at Centre for Mental Health, said:
“We are delighted to be working with The King’s Fund and Maudsley charity as an evaluation and learning partner for Building Brighter Futures. The crisis in children and young people’s mental health needs urgent solutions, with children from racialised backgrounds, those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those living in challenging environments most at risk. Partnerships across sectors which centre genuine coproduction are a critical part of the solving this crisis.”
Ultimately, Building Brighter Futures aims to leave a lasting legacy by improving how services are designed, delivered and evaluated. Its emphasis on collaboration, inclusion and evidence generation positions it as a potentially influential model for addressing one of the most pressing challenges in UK healthcare today.
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