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Our Campaign

About us

We are a youth-led mental health charity providing evidence-based, culturally-informed support to young people aged 11–25.

 

At Be Free Campaign, we believe mental health support should be early, accessible, and shaped by those with lived experience.

 

We deliver preventive programmes, early intervention counselling, and mental health education for schools and communities, while campaigning for a fairer, more inclusive mental health system across the UK.

The What?

We deliver youth-focused mental health programmes that are early, culturally informed, and grounded in trauma-aware practice.

At Be Free Campaign, we believe that supporting young people’s mental health takes more than good intentions. It requires the right tools, the right timing, and the right people. That’s why our work focuses on prevention, early intervention, and building confidence and understanding in the people who support young people most.

 

Through education, support, and creative tools, we meet young people in the spaces they live and learn. We don’t just talk about mental health. We equip young people, families, and educators with practical ways to look after it.

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Our work also reaches beyond the individual. We challenge systems that fail young people, raise awareness through national campaigns, and create space for young people’s voices to shape the future of mental health.

 

To find out more about our programmes and services, visit the Our Work section.

The Why?

It's simple, we were born out of lived experience.

We exist because too many young people are being failed by systems that weren’t designed with them in mind.

 

Long waits. Stigma. Services that don’t reflect their culture, identity, or needs. We’ve seen first-hand how young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, struggle to access the right support at the right time.

 

Be Free Campaign was founded from lived experience, and that still drives everything we do. We believe that mental health support should be early, inclusive, and shaped by the people it’s meant to serve. That’s why we’re working to change not just how young people are supported, but who gets to lead that change.

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We are reimagining what mental health support can be. Together, we are building something better.

The Who

We are a mental health charity focused on supporting young people aged 11 to 25. Our work is rooted in lived experience, and led by young people who are passionate about building a fairer, more inclusive approach to mental health.

While young people are our primary focus, we work with everyone around them too. This includes parents, carers, teachers, community leaders and workplaces. We believe that mental health is everyone’s responsibility, and we are here to support anyone who wants to be part of the solution.

 

We adapt to the needs of each community we work with, creating safe, culturally responsive spaces where people can learn, heal and thrive.

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The Stats

In 2020

0%

of 16-24 year olds
in the UK reported feeling down, depressed or miserable for most of the day on more than 1 day in the last week.

(Source: NHS Digital, Mental Health of Adults in England 2020)

In 2022

0%

of 16-24 year oldsin the UK reported reported self-harming in the last year. 

(Source: NHS Digital, Mental Health of Adults in England 2022)

Suicide

is the leading cause of death for males and females aged between 5 and 34 in the UK.

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(Source: Office for National Statistics, Suicides in the UK: 2020 registrations)

1 in 9

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children aged 5 to 16 had a probable mental disorder in 2017. 

(Source: NHS Digital, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2021)

In 2020 and recent years, the prevalence of mental health problems in young people increased to

1 in 6

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children aged 5 to 16 with a probable mental disorder.

(Source: NHS Digital, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022)

The most common mental health problems

in young people are anxiety and depression.

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(Source: Mind, How Common Are Mental Health Problems?)

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Young people from ethnic minority groups

are more likely to experience mental health problems than white young people. 

(Source: NHS Digital, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022)

Young people who live in poverty

are also more likely to experience mental health problems. 

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(Source: Mental Health Foundation, Children and Young People: Statistics)

Charity Timeline

Who we've helped so far

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4000+

young people supported through our mental health programmes.

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500k+

people reached through our campaigns.

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200+

teachers and faculty staff trained on mental health.

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50+

young people have been through our clinical therapy programme

Our partners, recognition and awards

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