Young Women in Mind 2026–2028: funding programme to strengthen and scale young women’s mental health services
Young Women in Mind is a collaborative funding programme set up by the Pilgrim Trust, the Prudence Trust and the Julia Rausing Trust to support charities to strengthen and scale effective, age-appropriate, and gender‑informed mental health support for girls and young women aged 14–25 in the UK. Together, we will invest £5 million over three years (2026 – 2028).
As funders, we have come together around a shared concern: young women are experiencing worsening mental health outcomes, yet too many still struggle to access timely support that reflects their lived realities and meets them in the community spaces they trust and turn to for help.
KEY INFORMATION
Application deadline
The deadline for stage one applications is 22 June. The deadline for stage two applications is 24 August. Notification of decisions: end Nov 2026.
Value and term of grants
Grants of £200,000 to £500,000 are available, spread across three years.
Example eligible costs
Expanding targeted provision, improving physical spaces, reducing barriers to access and engagement, strengthening outreach and communication, building staff capability.
Who is this fund for
This fund is only open to UK registered charities that already deliver therapeutic mental health services and meet all of the following core criteria.
Young Women in Mind 2026-2028
By pooling funds through the Young Women in Mind 2026-2028 programme, we aim to increase young women’s access to established organisations delivering high‑quality, age‑ and gender‑specific support. The programme will support charities to grow, strengthen or adapt existing therapeutic mental health services, so that more young women can access support that meets their needs effectively – particularly where mental health needs are already present and risk becoming entrenched without timely and effective help.
Eligibility criteria
- Be UK registered charities that already deliver therapeutic mental health services
- Work with girls and young women aged 14–25 (recognising some organisations may serve a wider age range)
- Be operating in Northern Ireland, Scotland, the North of England and the Midlands. Organisations working nationally are also eligible to apply for their national work.
- Have been delivering at least one therapeutic mental health service for a minimum of three years, for example CBT, other talking therapies or arts and creative therapies.
- Also be offering other services that support mental health, such as group sessions, youth work, family support, and/or information and advice, as part of a holistic offer.
- Meet one of the following:
- Be a mental health charity with a clear youth and mental health mission and an annual income of £750,000+, or
- Be a specialist charity led by and for women and girls, with a clear mental health mission, experience of delivering services to under 18s, and an annual income of £350,000+
- Demonstrate meaningful involvement of girls and young women in shaping services
- Collect and use outcome data and show a culture of learning and improvement
The fund will not support:
- Organisations that do not deliver therapeutic mental health support
- Acute care providers
- Advocacy, prevention, wellbeing or signposting‑only services
- Programmes delivered exclusively in schools or colleges
- Organisations that are not registered charities
Partnership applications are welcome (for example between a youth mental health charity and a women’s charity), provided at least one partner meets the criteria.
Full eligibility criteria, a short eligibility quiz, and the application form are available on the Pilgrim Trust’s website
There will be a webinar in June to meet the funders – to be confirmed – please keep an eye on the Pilgrim Trust’s website.
