Mary Frances Trust

What Mary Frances Trust does

Mary Frances Trust is a registered UK charity (Charity Commission registration 1055113) and Company Limited by Guarantee, founded in 1994 by Mary Edwards and Frances Jones in Leatherhead, Surrey, and operating for over 30 years in community mental health provision. Originally modeled on the clubhouse approach researched in Sweden and the United States, the organization has evolved into a multi-service provider delivering eight free services for adults aged 16+ across Surrey. Core offerings span Safe Haven (an evening crisis support service open 365 days/year, both in-person and virtual), SUN (Service User Network, a facilitated peer support service for adults with complex emotional difficulties co-delivered with Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust), GPimhs (GP Integrated Mental Health Service embedded in primary care), Recovery & Connect (secondary care service co-delivered with SABP), Community Connections (wellbeing activities and individual support), Social Prescribing (Banstead), Wellbeing Advice and Information, and educational outreach to schools, colleges and universities. Service delivery combines community-venue-based provision across Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Guildford and Dorking with virtual channels and a self-referral portal at support-me.org.uk.

The organization does not operate proprietary technology platforms; its core technology is described in the source data as 'Not applicable - service-based charity without proprietary technology platforms.' Service differentiation rests on a co-production ethos in which an Advisory Group of individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges (established June 2017) shapes strategic direction, alongside a workforce that includes Lived Experience Practitioners embedded in clinical pathways. The charity holds external credentials including the Royal College of Psychiatrists Enabling Environments Award (December 2024) and the BIGSPD Best Poster Award (2023), and operates within a partnership ecosystem spanning SABP, Surrey County Council, Surrey Heartlands ICB, Surrey Downs NHS, Surrey Borders PCN, Citizens Advice, Catalyst Support, and Surrey Hills Community Radio.

Mary Frances Trust's revenue model is multi-stream and typical of a UK community mental health charity. Funding sources comprise individual charitable donations, community fundraising and regular monthly donors; trust and foundation grants (including a National Lottery Community Fund three-year grant that concluded on 31 March 2026); NHS and public sector commissioning (SABP for SUN and Recovery & Connect, Surrey Heartlands ICB, Surrey County Council, Surrey Downs NHS); and corporate partnerships. All services are provided free at point of use to beneficiaries, with no pricing model applied to end users. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, with Jeremy Ross serving as Vice Chair of Trustees, and is led by CEO Patrick; there is no parent company, no private equity or venture capital involvement, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Mary Frances Trust

Legal name

Mary Frances Trust

Website

https://maryfrancestrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mary Frances Trust is a Surrey-based UK mental health charity founded in 1994, delivering eight free services to adults aged 16+, including crisis support, peer support groups, NHS-integrated primary and secondary care, and community wellbeing programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Community wellbeing support
• Peer support groups
• Crisis intervention services
• NHS integrated care

Headquarters

HQ city

Leatherhead

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donations from supporters, community fundraisers, and regular monthly donors to support mental wellbeing services in Surrey.
2. Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations such as National Lottery Community Fund for specific service programmes.
3. NHS and Public Sector Commissioning: Partnership funding from NHS Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for integrated mental health services.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate membership and partnership programmes with local businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mary Frances Trust provides free mental health and emotional wellbeing services to adults aged 16 and over living in Surrey. Its portfolio includes GP-integrated mental health support (GPimhs), out-of-hours crisis support (Safe Haven), peer-support membership (SUN), wellbeing groups and activities (Community Connections, Recovery & Connect), social prescribing in Banstead, and wellbeing advice and information. Services are co-produced with people with lived experience and delivered in partnership with the NHS, Surrey County Council, and other local organisations.

Product overview

Mary Frances Trust is a mental health and emotional wellbeing charity providing a portfolio of free community-based services for adults (16+) in Surrey. The organisation operates a multi-service model centered on co-production with people who have lived experience of mental health challenges. Core services include Community Connections (wellbeing activities and individual support), GPimhs (integrated mental health support via GP practices), Safe Haven (crisis support available evenings), SUN (peer support for complex emotional needs), Recovery & Connect (secondary care support), Wellbeing Advice and Information, Volunteering opportunities, and Advisory Group involvement. Additional services include Social Prescribing, educational institution partnerships, and bimonthly newsletter Inspire. A former service, The Wellbeing Hour (radio show), has ended but recordings remain available. The Financial & Wellbeing Support Service concluded on 31 March 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GPimhs (GP Integrated Mental Health Service)
• Safe Haven (Crisis Support Service)
• SUN (Service User Network)
• Recovery & Connect
• Community Connections
• Social Prescribing – Banstead
• Wellbeing Advice and Information

Quantifiable outcome

• 3030 GPimhs referrals in Mid-Surrey in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SABP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-delivery partnership for SUN (Service User Network) service and Recovery & Connect secondary care service. SABP provides clinical staff while MFT provides lived experience practitioners. This partnership combines medical and social models of care.
• Citizens AdvicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for the Financial & Wellbeing Support Service (FWSS), providing financial advice alongside MFT's wellbeing support.
• Catalyst SupportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for the Financial & Wellbeing Support Service (FWSS), contributing to the holistic support offering for Surrey residents.
• Surrey County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner and funder, supporting community mental health services across Surrey.
• Surrey Heartlands NHS ICBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Integrated Care Board partner for commissioning and integration of mental health services in Surrey.
• Surrey Downs NHSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partner for primary care mental health services in the Surrey Downs area.
• Surrey Borders PCNmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Care Network partner for delivering integrated mental health services.
• Surrey Hills Community RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community radio station that broadcast MFT's 'The Wellbeing Hour' monthly show focusing on mental health from lived experience perspective.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Samaritans: Samaritans is a UK charity providing 24/7 emotional support and crisis intervention via phone, email and in-person branches. It overlaps with MFT's Safe Haven crisis support but is a national, established incumbent operating at much larger scale.
• Mental Health Foundation: The Mental Health Foundation is a UK-wide charity focused on mental health research, policy and public education rather than direct service delivery. It is comparable to MFT in mission (improving mental health) but operates at a broader, non-service-delivery level.

Direct peers

• Turning Point: Turning Point is a UK social enterprise providing mental health, learning disability and substance-use services in community settings. It is comparable to MFT for delivering person-centred community mental health services in partnership with NHS and local authorities.
• Together for Mental Wellbeing: Together provides community mental health services, supported housing and personal-recovery programmes across the UK, working alongside NHS and local authorities. It is directly comparable to MFT in operating community services, peer support and recovery-focused interventions for adults with mental health needs.
• Richmond Fellowship (Recovery Focus): Richmond Fellowship, part of Recovery Focus, delivers community mental health services including supported housing, recovery programmes and peer support across England. It overlaps closely with MFT in community-based mental-health delivery, NHS partnership working and lived-experience involvement.
• Rethink Mental Illness: Rethink Mental Illness runs community-based mental health services, support groups and service-user networks across England, with an emphasis on lived experience. It is highly comparable to MFT for its community service hubs, peer-led groups and NHS/local-authority partnership model.
• SANE: SANE is a UK mental health charity offering emotional support, information and campaigns around mental illness. It is directly comparable to MFT for providing non-clinical mental health support services and operating a national helpline-style support function alongside awareness work.
• Mind: Mind is England's largest mental health charity, providing information, advice, local services and peer support across England and Wales. It is directly comparable to MFT as a community-based mental-health charity offering peer groups, crisis support and partnership-funded services, though at far greater national scale.

Emerging players

• Anxiety UK: Anxiety UK is a smaller UK charity focused specifically on anxiety and anxiety-related conditions, providing peer support, therapy services and information. It overlaps with MFT's emotional wellbeing remit but addresses a narrower condition-specific niche.

Others

• Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: SABP is the NHS mental health provider in Surrey and a Core co-delivery partner for MFT's SUN and Recovery & Connect services. It is included as an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor — MFT operates as a complementary third-sector provider under NHS commissioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maryfrancestrst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MaryFrancesTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/maryfrancestrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mary-frances-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/maryfrancestrust

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Mary Frances Trust