Deadline: 31-Aug-2026
The Mental Health Funding Programme supports charities that help children, young people, and parents overcome Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) through trauma-informed and evidence-based interventions. The programme focuses on breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma, improving mental health, strengthening family wellbeing, and protecting children from the long-term effects of abuse, neglect, and household adversity.
About the Mental Health Funding Programme
The Mental Health Funding Programme provides financial support to charities delivering specialist services for children, young people, parents, and families affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
The programme prioritizes organisations that use trauma-informed, evidence-based, and whole-family approaches to improve mental health, promote recovery, and reduce the long-term impact of childhood trauma.
Its primary goal is to help vulnerable families recover from adversity while preventing trauma from being passed from one generation to the next.
What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events or long-term stressful situations that occur before a child reaches the age of 18. Research shows that ACEs can have lasting effects on physical health, mental wellbeing, education, relationships, and future life outcomes.
Examples of ACEs include:
- Sexual abuse
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Physical neglect
- Emotional neglect
- Domestic violence within the household
- Living with a parent experiencing mental illness
- Living with a parent affected by substance misuse or addiction
- Parental death
- Family separation or divorce
- Child abandonment
- Having a parent or caregiver in prison
The programme supports interventions that help children and families recover from these experiences and build healthier futures.
Funding Priorities
The programme focuses on two main funding priorities.
1. Supporting Children and Young People
Funding is available for charities that help children and young people who have experienced one or more ACEs overcome trauma and achieve positive life outcomes.
The programme supports organisations providing:
- Trauma-informed therapeutic services
- Evidence-based mental health interventions
- Counselling and psychological support
- Emotional wellbeing programmes
- Recovery services for children affected by abuse or neglect
- Specialist support for vulnerable young people
2. Supporting Parents and Families
The programme also funds charities that help parents address severe mental health challenges to reduce the risk of harm to children.
Supported services include:
- Whole-family interventions
- Trauma-informed parenting programmes
- Mental health support for parents
- Addiction recovery support
- Family resilience programmes
- Services that prevent intergenerational trauma
Who is Eligible?
Eligible applicants are charities whose entire organisation aligns with the programme’s objectives.
To qualify, organisations should:
- Be a registered charity.
- Deliver services fully aligned with the programme priorities.
- Provide evidence-based interventions.
- Use trauma-informed approaches.
- Support children, young people, parents, or families affected by ACEs.
- Demonstrate expertise in mental health and trauma recovery.
Organisations whose activities only partially align with the programme are not eligible.
Who Can Benefit from the Funded Services?
The programme supports charities working with:
Children and Young People Who Have Experienced:
- Sexual abuse
- Domestic violence
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Physical neglect
- Emotional neglect
- Parental mental illness
- Parental substance addiction
- Bereavement
- Suicide within the family
- Murder or manslaughter affecting the family
- Parental imprisonment
- Complex childhood trauma
Parents and Caregivers Experiencing:
- Severe mental health conditions
- Substance misuse or addiction
- Unresolved childhood trauma
- Parenting challenges related to ACEs
- Family situations that may place children at risk
Types of Interventions Supported
The programme prioritizes interventions that are both evidence-based and trauma-informed.
Examples include:
- Trauma-focused therapy
- Family therapy
- Psychological counselling
- Parenting support programmes
- Cognitive behavioural interventions
- Mental health recovery services
- Early intervention programmes
- Family resilience initiatives
- Therapeutic support groups
- Community mental health programmes
Projects should demonstrate clear evidence that their approach improves outcomes for children and families.
Why This Programme Matters
Childhood trauma can have lifelong consequences if left untreated. Early intervention helps children recover, strengthens families, and reduces future mental health problems.
The programme contributes to:
- Improved child mental health
- Better emotional wellbeing
- Safer family environments
- Reduced risk of abuse and neglect
- Stronger parenting skills
- Prevention of intergenerational trauma
- Improved long-term health and social outcomes
- Greater resilience among vulnerable families
How the Programme Works
Step 1: Review Eligibility
Confirm that all services provided by your organisation fall entirely within the programme’s funding priorities.
Step 2: Assess Your Programmes
Ensure your interventions are:
- Trauma-informed
- Evidence-based
- Focused on children, young people, parents, or families affected by ACEs
Step 3: Demonstrate Impact
Prepare evidence showing that your programmes:
- Improve mental health
- Reduce trauma
- Support family recovery
- Protect vulnerable children
Step 4: Prepare Supporting Information
Gather documentation describing:
- Organisational activities
- Service delivery model
- Target beneficiaries
- Outcomes achieved
- Evidence supporting your intervention methods
Step 5: Submit the Application
Complete the application according to the programme guidelines and include all required supporting information.
Tips for a Strong Application
Applicants can strengthen their application by:
- Clearly demonstrating expertise in trauma-informed care.
- Explaining how services support people affected by ACEs.
- Providing evidence that interventions are research-based.
- Showing measurable outcomes and long-term impact.
- Demonstrating experience working with vulnerable families.
- Explaining how programmes prevent future harm.
- Ensuring all organisational activities align with programme priorities.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these common errors:
- Applying when only part of the organisation’s work matches the funding priorities.
- Failing to demonstrate that interventions are evidence-based.
- Providing insufficient information about trauma-informed practices.
- Submitting incomplete organisational information.
- Failing to explain how programmes improve outcomes for children and families.
- Overlooking the programme’s focus on preventing intergenerational trauma.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the purpose of the Mental Health Funding Programme?
The programme funds charities that help children, young people, and parents recover from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) through trauma-informed and evidence-based services.
2. What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?
ACEs are traumatic or stressful experiences that occur before the age of 18, such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, parental mental illness, substance misuse, bereavement, family separation, or parental imprisonment.
3. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are charities whose entire range of services fully aligns with the programme’s funding priorities and delivers trauma-informed, evidence-based support.
4. What types of projects are supported?
The programme supports therapeutic interventions, family support programmes, mental health services, parenting programmes, counselling, and other trauma-informed initiatives that improve outcomes for children and families.
5. Can organisations with partially relevant services apply?
No. Organisations must have activities that are fully aligned with the programme’s objectives. Partial alignment is not sufficient.
6. Why does the programme focus on parents as well as children?
Supporting parents with severe mental health challenges or unresolved trauma helps reduce risks to children and prevents trauma from being passed to future generations.
7. Why are trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches important?
These approaches are supported by research and are designed to provide safe, effective, and long-term recovery for individuals and families affected by trauma.
Conclusion
The Mental Health Funding Programme supports charities that deliver high-quality, trauma-informed, and evidence-based services for children, young people, parents, and families affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). By investing in interventions that promote recovery, improve mental health, and prevent intergenerational trauma, the programme aims to create safer families, healthier communities, and better long-term outcomes for vulnerable children and future generations.
For more information, visit James Tudor Foundation.
