A group of young people laughing together outside on a bench. Group includes two Black young women (one in a wheelchair), one Black young man, and a white young man.

Join our movement

We need to revolutionise how society supports you with your mental health.

Young people are facing a mental health emergency in the UK: we need to revolutionise how society supports you with your mental health. Your stories, your experiences and your voices can change the world – and we won’t stop standing with you until it’s the world you deserve. Find out how you can get involved.

A young Black woman in a wheelchair and a young Black man on a bench, both staring at the camera looking serious.

Applications for our Activist programme are now open!

Are you passionate about young people's mental health? Do you want to raise your voice, campaign for positive change and help shape the work we do?

Become a YoungMinds Activist!

Our Activist programme is designed to support you to connect with your activism, learn new skills and campaign for change.

Find out more and apply

Why we need to see change

Young people deserve to receive support before they hit a crisis point. There is so much that needs to change to create a future where no young person feels alone with their mental health.

Right now:

  • one in four 17-19 year olds have a probable mental health problem
  • more than half of young people waited for over a month for mental health support after seeking it
  • almost half a million young people are either waiting for or undergoing treatment with mental health services every month
A selfie of a group of young people.

Be part of the movement

Young people are already doing so much to change the world for the better. You’re already organising, spreading joy, demanding change and sharing your mental health experiences - we want to make these stories impossible to ignore. And through our work with young people, you continue to teach us every day how to keep pushing for the society we all need.

The YoungMinds Youth Panel 2021-23
Put young people's voices at the centre of our work. Join the Youth Panel and discuss the big picture questions about our organisation, inform our strategy and make decisions to help shape our future.
Three people sitting on a sofa chatting.
Work alongside our staff to make sure everything we do is done in partnership with young people. As a Youth Advisor, champion youth voice and advocate for meaningful participation in our work.
A person writing in a notebook.
Share your stories and personal experiences to support other young people with their mental health. Join our Writers Programme and produce a zine full of stories and illustrations.
A young Black woman in a wheelchair and an older Black woman sitting on a bench in the park. They are laughing together.
Campaign for change by raising your voice about mental health and help shape our work to create positive change for young people.

How we're calling for change

Hundreds of thousands of young people are struggling with their mental health – and too often they can’t get support when they need it. Too many are being told to wait, struggling to cope and hitting crisis point before they get help.

That’s why we’re calling for change.

Join us in calling for the Government to #EndTheWait and deliver on its promise to end the crisis in young people’s mental health.

Find out more about our campaign

We’re also calling for change on policy related to children and young people's mental health.

  • These calls for change are based on our research and stories from young people.

    Our latest report on the Online Safety Bill outlines the harmful impacts that social media is having on young people’s mental health and how we're fighting for the online world to be a safer and kinder place for you.

Changing the way things work

It’s hard to stay positive about young people’s mental health support when there’s not enough out there. Growing up today is tough. From the cost-of-living crisis to the climate emergency, the impact on young people’s mental health is undeniable, and you’re tired. But there’s still hope for a better future, and the only way we can make this happen is by making sure your stories and ideas are heard and force the change we all need.

Our ‘Deconstructing the system’ report shines a light on the young people’s mental health emergency in the UK. Find out why so many young people are reaching out for help and what they think needs to change.

Read the full report

Our stories

‘Our stories’ brings together the voices of young people telling their stories. It shares the real experiences behind the young people’s mental health emergency and what it’s like growing up in the UK.

Explore ‘Our stories’ to hear from young people and discover the impact your voice can have on society.

Find out more