Dear Sir,
Today, thousands of young people are writing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, calling on the Government to invest in early mental health support in the Spending Review. We, the undersigned, are in full support of them.
We have seen an alarming rise in prevalence, with the number of 5–16-year-olds with a mental health problem increasing to one in six in 2020 compared to 1 in 9 in 2017. Despite greater investment in NHS services, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to even greater need, leaving services significantly overstretched.
Fewer than 40% of those under the age of 17 with a mental health condition are able to access NHS support. Too many young people are being left without support, which can have a devastating effect. This is why we are calling for the Government to invest in a national network of early support hubs to provide easy-to-access, drop-in mental health support for young people, on a self-referral basis.
Providing such support through early support hubs would ensure that a young person does not need to reach crisis point before they get help, and would also reduce pressure on NHS services. Hubs are proven to work, with a strong evidence base from examples in other countries, as well as in local areas across the UK.
All young people deserve to receive the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what. We urge the Government to listen to the young people who have written to them, and answer with a serious funding commitment in their Spending Review.
Stephen Fry, Actor, Author, Broadcaster, Comedian and President of mental health charity Mind
Emma Thomas, Chief Executive, YoungMinds
Dr Jacqui Dyer MBE, Director, Black Thrive Global
Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health
Norman Lamb, Chair, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition
Mark Russell, Chief Executive, The Children’s Society
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind
Cassandra Harrison, Chief Executive, Youth Access
Pippa Goodfellow, Director, Alliance for Youth Justice
Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive, Ambitious About Autism
Natalie Bailey, Chair, BACP
Andrew Radford, Chief Executive, Beat
Louisa Rose, Chief Executive, Beyond
Helen Marshall, Chief Executive, Brook
Geethika Jayatiaka, Chief Executive, Chance UK
Kathy Evans, Chief Executive, Children England
Robin Barker, Chief Executive, Healthy Teen Minds
Dr Asha Patel, Chief Executive, Innovating Minds
Danny Hutchinson, Operations Director, Invictus Wellbeing
Louisa McGeehan, Chief Executive, Just for Kids Law
Tim Barker, Chief Executive, Kooth
Beth French, Chief Executive and Founder, Let’s Talk About Loss
Shelly Whitehead, Director, Lock House Consulting Limited
Dr Amy Pollard FRSA, Director, Mental Health Collective
Simon Blake OBE, Chief Executive, Mental Health First Aid England
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive, Mental Health Foundation
Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive, National Children’s Bureau
Claire Dorer, Chief Executive, NASS
Sean Duggan, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network
Alyson Wylding, Director, No5 Young People
Leigh Middleton, Chief Executive of NYA
Leigh Wallbank¸ Chief Executive of OCDAction
Karen Black, Chief Executive, Off the Record Bristol
Dympna Cunnane, Chief Executive, Our Time
Ged Flynn, Chief Executive, PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide
Jabeer Butt OBE, Chief Executive, Race Equality Foundation
Jo Revill, Chief Executive, RCPCH
Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of Child & Adolescent Faculty, RCPsych
Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive, Rethink Mental Illness
Wendy Minhinnett, Director, Rollercoaster Family Support
Julie Bentley, Chief Executive, Samaritans
Sharon White OBE, Chief Executive, School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA)
Jon Salmon and Jo Emmerson, Directors, Speakers Collective CIC
Andrew Varley, Chief Executive, St Vincent’s Family Project
Juliet Hope MBE, Chief Executive, Startup
Rosie Tressler OBE, Chief Executive, Student Minds
Diana Ashby, Change Programme Manager and Deputising Chief Executive, The British Psychological Society
Clare Stafford, Chief Executive, The Charlie Waller Trust
Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive, The Diana Award
Ndidi Okezie, Chief Executive, UK Youth
Anna Matthews, Chair of Trustees, UMHAN
John de Pury, Assistant Director of Policy/Mental Health lead, Universities UK
Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive, Young Lives vs Cancer
Joel Sutton, Chief Executive, Youth Mental Health Foundation
Claire Bethel, Consultant, Way Ahead
