Impact Review 2023

Looking forward with hope and ambition

Children born in the year the Trust was founded, 1997, will have turned 26 last year. During those years we have grown enormously as an organisation – in size and reach, but more importantly in the expertise we have developed, the evidence-base we can call upon, and the generous support on which we rely.

If everything we now offer had been available to the child born in ’97, they would have amassed quite a toolkit for looking after their mental health: at primary school, they could have used our Wellbeing Action Plan for younger children – ‘a little book to help you feel good about yourself’. At secondary school, our healthy approach to exams may have been useful for them and for their parents and teachers. Their parents / carers might also have accessed support through the PLACE network and/or connected with one of our trained parent carer peer support workers.

Moving on to higher education, they might have looked to our mental health guidance for university students. As they stepped into the world of work, perhaps their employer would have attended one of our YES Workshops (Young Employee Support) and learned how to spot young workers struggling with anxiety or depression.

Our aim is to be there for children on every step of their journey through life, starting when they are very young – because we know that getting help early can make such a positive difference to mental health later in life.

We hope you enjoy this snapshot of our work last year and the impact it makes on thousands of young lives.

Our purpose...

...is to empower young people to live life to the full by giving them, and those who care for them, the skills, knowledge and confidence to look after their mental health.

Young people at the heart of the trust

We launched our new Youth Involvement Team in January 2023, recruiting nine youth ambassadors aged 16 - 25 to make young people’s voices central to our work.

All nine were given public speaking opportunities in their first year – some in educational settings, two at Flackstock music festival, others on the ambassadors’ own podcast, Stigma to Strength.

Ambassadors have run workshops alongside clinicians, joined fundraising events and collaborated with the Charlie Waller Workplace team. They have written book reviews, blog posts and social media content, and worked with professionals at the University of Oxford to help create practical mental health tools for young people.

Their contribution is proving invaluable and the current group have been closely involved in recruiting three new ambassadors for 2024

Our highlights

What you helped us achieve in 2023

Blue circle with text which says 'There were 29,985 resource downloads from our website'

Pink blob with text which says 'We delivered 216 sessions to 14,153 teachers, parents and pupils'

Green blob with text which says 'In 2023 there were 70 parent support groups in our PLACE network'

Green blob with text which says 94% reported an increase in knowledge after attending one of our webinars

Blue blob with text which saus 'We sent out 46,451 printed resources'

Green blob with text which says 'An average of 114 people attended each of our webinars last year'

Free resources and webinars

Our free webinars are run by expert mental health trainers. They offer guidance on a wide range of topics. In 2023, the 31 webinars we delivered included supporting young people with depression, perfectionism, transitioning to university life, and supporting highly sensitive young people.

Our highly valued publications are a core part of our charitable work. In 2023, we sent out 46,451 posters, leaflets, booklets and other resources. These included a much- needed new guide: Supporting a Child with an Eating Problem, drawing on the expertise of our trainers, parents with lived experience and other leaders in the field.

Thank you so much – for the scholarship, the support – EVERYTHING. It means a lot to me. Where I came from, an immigrant girl who grew up in some of the worst areas in the UK, people around me didn’t have the opportunity to do much. This is hope to do better for me, my family and others – it’s priceless.

Mental wellbeing at school and at home

Mentally healthy schools

In 2023, school funds were stretched and demands on staff were high. Our whole school approach brings expert mental health training to the entire school community: pupils, staff, parents and carers. We work in primary and secondary schools, 166 of them in 2023, ensuring we are there for children at every step of their educational journey.

Supporting families

We continue to champion lived experience parent carer peer support as a way to help families of children with mental health difficulties. In 2023, with support from NHS England, we trained 33 parents and carers to take on this vital role working with their local children and young people’s services.

Key skills for parents & carers

Our workshops for parents and carers of children with an eating disorder are a lifeline for many families. Our trianing use the New Maudsley model; this aims to lower anxiety and distress in family members and give carers skills that help them engage their loved one to embark on change.

Read the full review

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The Charlie Waller Trust

The Charlie Waller Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales 1109984. A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales 5447902. Registered address: The Charlie Waller Trust, First Floor, 23 Kingfisher Court, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5SJ.