Youth Mental Health Foundation

What Youth Mental Health Foundation does

Youth Mental Health Foundation (YMHF) is a UK-registered non-profit (charity no. 13515864) that supports parents and carers of children and young people aged roughly 7–17 who are struggling with mental health, self-harm, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and neurodiversity. The organisation was effectively seeded in 2015 when co-founder Jade Sutton, then aged 12, began delivering lived-experience school assemblies in Devon, and was formally constituted as a non-profit with the 2020 launch of The Horizon Plan. Day-to-day operations are run by a small core team of approximately 10 people, including founders Joel and Claire Sutton (CEO and Content Development respectively), daughter Jade as Youth Lead, a Lead Psychotherapist (Calvin Malcolm, a systemic family psychotherapist with 22+ years NHS CAMHS experience), a Clinical Director (Dr. Lynn Suter), a Research Lead (Dr. Jesse Kigozi, Associate Professor of Health Economics), workshop leaders, design, and operations staff.

YMHF's product set comprises a free online course (The Horizon Plan, a 5-stage parent-empowerment methodology), an 18-session Power2Parent group programme delivered in-person in South Devon and via Zoom (£595 per parent, with grant-funded places), the OASIS alumni community (launched Feb 2025), the closed "Self Harm & Mental Health Parents" Facebook group (2,700+ members), school assemblies ("Reach For The Stars," £145), school workshops ("What's Your Genius," £375), the free Self-Harm Booklet, and a School Support Pack. Delivery runs on a standard online-learning stack (LMS-hosted video modules with downloadable workbooks, Zoom/Teams for live groups, Facebook and WhatsApp for community). The Power2Parent programme is independently evaluated as "highly effective" by the University of Exeter's Department of Psychology.

YMHF's revenue mechanics blend donations and charitable grants (National Lottery, Clothworkers' Foundation, Cornwall Community Foundation, St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust, Gibbons Family Trust, Northbrook Community Trust, multiple local authorities, and NHS Devon Partnership Trust) with earned fees from Power2Parent, school assemblies, and school workshops; international parents pay a fee for the full Horizon Plan, while UK residents access it free. Distribution is community-led — schools, CAMHS professionals, healthcare providers, online search, and word-of-mouth through the Facebook community — augmented by Jade Sutton's earned media profile (BBC, ITV, National Diversity Awards). International reach is delivered through licensing/white-label partners Mind Australia and Jersey Recovery College.

Name

Youth Mental Health Foundation

Legal name

Youth Mental Health Foundation

Website

https://youthmentalhealthfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youth Mental Health Foundation is a UK non-profit that supports parents and carers of children and young people (aged roughly 7–17) struggling with mental health and self-harm through a free online course (The Horizon Plan), an 18-session Power2Parent group programme, school assemblies and workshops, and a 2,700+ member parent community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth mental health education and parent support services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent Mental Health, Stress Management & Wellness Programs (EDACALAJ), Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)

Keywords

• Youth mental health support
• Parent coaching programmes
• Online mental health courses
• School mental health workshops
• Self-harm peer support

Headquarters

HQ city

Totnes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Grants: The organisation is a non-profit registered in England (ref: 13515864). It relies heavily on charitable donations and grants from trusts, foundations, and government bodies to fund free programmes for families. Donations are solicited from past students and supporters.
2. Power2Parent Course Fees: Power2Parent groups are offered at £595 per parent for self-funded participants. Grant-funded places are available for eligible UK families. International parents outside the UK pay a fee for the full course.
3. School Assembly and Workshop Fees: Schools pay for the Reach For The Stars assembly at £145 per session and the What's Your Genius workshop at £375 per workshop. Grant funding is available to help schools cover costs.
4. OASIS Community Subscription: OASIS, the ongoing community for past Power2Parent students, invites contributions of £20/month (suggested donation) to cover costs. Participants can pay less if unable or more to support others.
5. Horizon Plan Full Course (International): The Horizon Plan online course is free for parents and healthcare professionals in the UK. Parents and healthcare professionals living outside the UK can enroll on the Full Course for a fee (to be determined).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Youth Mental Health Foundation delivers parent-focused programmes that equip carers of young people struggling with mental health, self-harm, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders with practical, structured support. Its core offerings are The Horizon Plan, a free online 5-stage video course, and Power2Parent Groups, an 18-session coaching programme delivered in-person and via Zoom, complemented by school assemblies and workshops, a Facebook peer-support community, and a Self-Harm Booklet. The programmes are co-created and co-delivered by parents with lived experience alongside qualified mental health practitioners.

Product overview

The Youth Mental Health Foundation (YMHF) offers a suite of interconnected products centred on parental empowerment in youth mental health. The free Horizon Plan online course serves as the foundational entry point, providing video-based 5-stage guidance for parents of children struggling with mental health. Power2Parent Groups build on this methodology with 18-session structured coaching programmes delivered in-person in South Devon or via Zoom worldwide, offered at £595 per parent with grant-funded places available. These core offerings are complemented by the free Self-Harm Booklet, the 'Reach For The Stars' school assembly programme delivered by co-founder Jade Sutton (starting from 2015), and the 'What's Your Genius?' workshop for school students. YMHF also provides a free School Support Pack for schools to distribute to parents, the 'Self Harm & Mental Health Parents' Facebook Group peer community (2,700+ members), and the OASIS alumni community for ongoing support after programme completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Horizon Plan: Free online course for parents guiding them to support a child struggling with emotions, behaviour and mental health. Contains video lessons, workbooks and covers topics including why young people self-harm, first aid for self-harm injuries, and creating home routines that support healing.
• Power2Parent
• School Support Pack
• Reach For The Stars Assembly
• What's Your Genius Workshop
• OASIS
• Power2Parent Zoom 2026

Products and services

• The Horizon Plan Free online video course for parents of children and young people struggling with emotions, behaviour and mental health. Provides step-by-step guidance through a 5-stage methodology teaching parents how to support their child's healing, delivered via video lessons, quizzes and downloadable workbooks.
• Power2Parent Groups 18-session coaching programme for parents of children aged 7-17 struggling with mental health, delivered in-person at South Devon Family Hub in Totnes or via Zoom worldwide. Co-led by parents with lived experience and a qualified mental health practitioner. Includes 5 downloadable workbooks, WhatsApp support group and access to recorded sessions. Priced at £595 with grant-funded places.
• Reach For The Stars School Assembly 30-minute school assembly delivered by co-founder Jade Sutton sharing her lived experience of overcoming depression, an eating disorder and self-harm. Aimed at primary and secondary pupils, delivered in-person or via Zoom/Teams, and inspires resilience, mental health awareness and goal-setting. Priced at £145 per assembly.
• What's Your Genius? Workshop 2.5-hour interactive workshop for students in Years 5-8 exploring neurodiversity, individual strengths, teamwork, goal-setting and kindness. Delivered in primary and secondary schools by YMHF workshop leaders for up to 30 pupils per session. Priced at £375 per workshop (£12.50 per child).
• Self-Harm Booklet Free downloadable booklet written by co-founder Claire Sutton recounting her journey supporting her teenage daughter from self-harm to health and happiness, and serving as an introduction to the Horizon Plan methodology.
• School Support Pack Free downloadable pack of resources for schools to share with parents, including flyers for the Horizon Plan online course, the Self-Harm Booklet, the Facebook support group and information about Power2Parent groups.
• Self Harm & Mental Health Parents Facebook Group Closed Facebook peer-support community exclusively for parents and carers of children struggling with mental health or self-harm, featuring over 2,700 members, regular founder content, 15-minute Facebook Live sessions and community-driven content development.
• OASIS Community Ongoing community for past Power2Parent students offering monthly Zoom workshops, a WhatsApp peer support community, guest speaker events, in-person meet-ups in South Devon and continued access to Power2Parent workbooks, Horizon Plan videos and Growing Stage materials. Suggested donation of £20/month.
• Power2Parent Zoom Groups Zoom-delivered version of the Power2Parent 18-session programme for parents worldwide unable to attend in-person sessions in South Devon; groups meet fortnightly via Zoom for 1.5-hour sessions with self-enrollment via Calendly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of parents rated Power2Parent sessions as 'very helpful' and felt 'very comfortable & supported' (Gibbons Family Trust programme, South Hams Family Hub, 2025)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dr. Jesse Kigozi (University of Birmingham)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Dr. Jesse Kigozi, Associate Professor of Health Economics at University of Birmingham, joined YMHF as Advisory Head of Research. He brings expertise in youth mental health economics and will lead efforts to identify the evidence base and robustly measure programme effectiveness.
• University of Exeter (Department of Psychology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration launched January 2023 to monitor and evaluate Power2Parent groups, improve impact, and obtain data demonstrating effectiveness. University of Exeter independently evaluated the programme as 'highly effective'.
• Devon Partnership NHS Trust (Devon Recovery Learning Community)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMHF delivers a course for Devon Recovery Learning Community, a Recovery College provided by Devon Partnership NHS Trust. This is a core programme delivery partnership.
• All-Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm PreventionminorOthersYMHF has submitted evidence to the UK Parliament's APPG inquiry into support available for young people who self-harm, contributing to policy advocacy.
• Children & Young People's Mental Health CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMHF is a member of the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, working towards building a nation where positive mental health is promoted and early intervention practices are in place.
• National Suicide Prevention AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMHF is a member of the NSPA, an alliance of public, private and voluntary organisations in England committed to reducing suicide and supporting those bereaved or affected.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMHF is a member of NCVO, the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in England, supporting the voluntary and community sector and civil society.
• Royal Statistical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMHF has partnered with the Royal Statistical Society to publish a paper on the state of young people's mental health in the UK.
• Expert Self CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMHF is partnered with Expert Self Care, the UK's first and only provider of dedicated self-help and health information apps to universities, colleges, NHS, local councils and charities.
• Mind AustraliacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMind Australia, one of Australia's leading community-managed specialist mental health service providers, offers the Horizon Plan online course for parents and carers of young people who self-injure. This is a licensing/white-label partnership.
• Jersey Recovery CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYMHF is a course provider for Jersey Recovery College, an independent mental health charity supporting adults and children, expanding international delivery.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Kids Help Phone: Canada's national youth mental health support organisation providing e-mental health services, counselling, and resources. Comparable to YMHF as a digital-first youth and family mental health support provider operating across a large geography.

Direct peers

• YoungMinds: UK charity dedicated to children and young people's mental health, operating a parent helpline, parent resources, and campaigning work. Directly comparable to YMHF in mission and target audience (parents of youth with mental health issues), with a much larger national footprint.
• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing counselling and emotional support in schools, including parent-facing resources and training. Comparable to YMHF through its school-anchored delivery model and parent engagement work.
• Charlie Waller Trust: UK charity focused on young people's mental health, particularly depression, providing training for parents, schools, and health professionals. Highly comparable to YMHF in its parent-education and school-based programme mix.
• Harmless: UK charity providing support for people who self-harm and their families, including parent resources and training. Highly comparable given YMHF's central focus on parents of young people who self-harm.
• Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide: UK charity dedicated to preventing young suicide, providing helpline support, training, and resources for parents, schools, and professionals. Comparable to YMHF in its youth mental health crisis focus and parent-facing programme design.
• Stem4: UK youth mental health charity producing mental health apps, resources, and parent/student training. Comparable to YMHF for its combination of digital content, parent support, and school-facing programmes in the youth mental health space.

Broad incumbents

• Anna Freud Centre: UK children's mental health research and practice organisation operating parents and schools programmes at significant scale. A larger, more established incumbent in the same child and family mental health support category.
• Mind: England and Wales's largest mental health charity, providing advice, resources, and local services including for parents and young people. A broad incumbent whose portfolio overlaps materially with YMHF's family support work.

Regional players

• Mind Australia: Major Australian community-managed mental health service provider that has licensed YMHF's Horizon Plan course for Australian parents. Functioning both as YMHF's international licensee and a comparable regional operator in youth and family mental health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHorizonPlan
• Xx.com/PlanHorizon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/40929471

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Mental Health Foundation