Marks and Spencer’s (M&S) has partnered with youth mental health charity Young Minds to raise awareness of the help available to young people struggling with their mental health.
The partnership, prompted by the British retailer‘s colleagues and customers’ growing concerns about their family’s mental health, will provide funding, and support for vital resources aimed at young people.
The charity partnership follows M&S commissioning research into the extent of the young people’s mental health crisis in the UK.
It found that, despite struggling with their mental health, 65% of young people hadn’t asked for any kind of formal support – with 33% of those saying they felt too embarrassed.
Other issues the report raised were the impact of both loneliness in young people and missed education, with 61% of those waiting for mental health support having stopped attending school, college, university or work.
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Among other initiatives, the partnership is designed to raise £5 million over the next three years, with M&S announcing a £1 million donation – enough to run the YoungMinds parents’ helpline for a year.
It is hoped the £5 million will double the number of young people, and adults in their lives supported by YoungMinds to 7 million people, primarily through digital resources and the parents’ helpline.
In addition, M&S will also help its 30 million customers and 60,000 colleagues understand more about young people’s mental health and feel able to have better conversations with young people who may be struggling.
“When we asked colleagues and customers what issues were front of their mind, their family’s mental health was top of the list. It’s a growing issue which touches us all, with around five children in every classroom struggling,” said M&S corporate affairs director Victoria McKenzie-Gould.
“We have a huge opportunity to help YoungMinds raise awareness, support with much needed funding – which we’re getting underway today with a £1m donation from M&S – and perhaps most importantly to help people know what to do when a young person in their life needs some help. Together, we’ve got this.”
YoungMinds chief executive Laura Bunt added: “This ground-breaking new partnership with M&S will help us reach more young people and the adults around them than ever before.
“Over the next three years, we will work together to show young people that they are not alone with their mental health and provide vital advice and guidance when they need it most.”
