As a young person in 2026, I think awareness alone is no longer enough. This Mental Health Awareness Week we need action.

At the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), our mission is simple but urgent — to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence.  We know that mental health plays a huge part in this. When children don’t get the right support early on, distress can turn into crisis — and sometimes, that crisis can…

At the Peer Action Collective we have learned a lot about the impact that youth violence can have on young people’s health and wellbeing. Research conducted in 2022 by Peer Researchers found that mental health was a priority for young people across England and Wales. From being hypervigilant in areas where young people feel unsafe,…