What The McPin Foundation does

The McPin Foundation is a UK-registered mental health research charity (no. 1117336) and Company Limited by Guarantee (no. 6010593), headquartered in Bethnal Green, London. Founded in 2007 by Dr Nick McNally and Dr Vanessa Pinfold, the organisation specialises in integrating lived-experience expertise into mental health research — employing peer researchers who draw on personal experience of mental health issues alongside formal research training. It runs a portfolio of approximately 25+ staff delivering commissioned research, public involvement services, evaluation, training, hosting, and policy influencing for academic, NHS, charity, and government clients across the UK.

Core services include Research Services (peer-research-led commissioned studies such as gameChange VR therapy, Community Navigators2 loneliness reduction, and CIRCuiTS AI-supported cognitive tool), Public Involvement in Research (LEAP panels, bespoke PPI plans), Evaluation and Impact Measurement, Training Services (a £580 four-session online PPI course plus bespoke organisational training), Hosting Services for external fundraising projects, and Influencing Work including chairing the Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders. The organisation maintains two lived-experience communities — the Young People's Network (600+ members aged 13-28) and the McPin Involvement Network (adults 18+) — alongside 10 active Young People's Advisory Groups. Specific named projects and tools exist (e.g., the U-PIC therapy-preference form, SUN RISE report, 10 for 10 resource series), but McPin does not build a unified software platform; its 'technology' consists of research methodologies, PPI frameworks, and project-specific research artefacts.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid of commissioned research contracts and grants from universities and public bodies, paid training courses, individual donations (including via Give As You Live), legacy/bequest campaigns, and hosted fundraising projects. The go-to-market is consultative and relationship-driven, with McPin responding to commissioned research opportunities, networking with NHS bodies, universities (KCL IoPPN, UCL, Oxford, Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester, Plymouth), research funders (UKRI, NIHR), and third-sector organisations (Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, Crisis, Black Thrive Lambeth, Maudsley Charity). Pricing for commissioned work is bespoke and per-project; only training is publicly priced. Charity financials are not disclosed on the website but are filed with the UK Charity Commission.

Name

The McPin Foundation

Legal name

The McPin Foundation

Website

https://mcpin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The McPin Foundation is a UK-registered mental health research charity that integrates lived-experience expertise into commissioned research, public involvement, evaluation, and training for universities, NHS bodies, charities, and government research funders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Research Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Mental health research
• Lived experience research
• Peer research methods
• Public involvement research
• Mental health evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable giving: McPin receives one-off and regular donations from individual supporters. Donations are processed via Give As You Live and bank transfer, and include Gift Aid eligibility.
2. Commissioned research and evaluation: McPin delivers commissioned mental health research and evaluations for universities, NHS bodies, charities, and public sector organisations. Revenue is earned through project-based contracts and grants, often in partnership with academic institutions.
3. Training fees: McPin offers paid training courses on patient and public involvement (PPI), peer research, and co-production. The standard course costs £580 for four online sessions plus materials. Bespoke organisational training is also available.
4. Hosted fundraising projects: McPin hosts external fundraising projects and funds (e.g., Words That Carry On, Judi Meadows Memorial Fund), providing administrative infrastructure. Revenue derived from management fees or cost recovery.
5. Legacies and bequests: McPin actively campaigns for legacy gifts and bequests in wills, positioning these as vital to the charity's long-term sustainability given the underfunding of mental health research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The McPin Foundation is a mental health research charity that delivers commissioned mental health research and evaluations, sets up and supports lived-experience advisory panels, provides evaluation and impact-measurement services, runs PPI and peer-research training, hosts external fundraising projects, and conducts policy-influencing work. Its services are built on peer-research and co-production methods that integrate lived experience of mental health into all stages of research design, delivery, and dissemination for universities, NHS bodies, charities, and public sector commissioners.

Product overview

The McPin Foundation is a mental health research charity offering a portfolio of research and involvement services rather than a unified software product. Core services include mental health research delivery, public involvement in research (PPI), evaluation and impact measurement, training programmes, hosting services for fundraisers, and influencing work in the mental health sector. The organisation operates several networks including the Young People's Network (ages 13-28) and McPin Involvement Network (adults 18+), which connect people with lived experience to research opportunities. McPin also conducts specific research projects such as gameChange (virtual reality therapy), Community Navigators2 (loneliness reduction), and CIRCuiTS (AI-supported cognitive tool for psychosis). Their 10 for 10 resource series provides learning materials on peer research, co-production, and involvement practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 projects delivered in 2022/2023 with 16 peer-reviewed outputs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Health Research Authority (HRA) — Shared Commitment to Public InvolvementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024In October 2024 McPin joined the HRA's Shared Commitment to Public Involvement in Health and Social Care Research, a pledge by leading health, research, and social care bodies to improve public involvement across the sector. McPin committed to championing lived experience expertise and supporting underrepresented groups in involvement.
• CrisisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Crisis is listed as a McPin partner and collaborator, indicating ongoing or potential joint working in mental health research areas of mutual interest.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NHS England is listed as a McPin partner, reflecting collaborative working on mental health research, public involvement, and policy influencing.
• SamaritansminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023McPin has worked with Samaritans on co-production projects involving people with lived experiences of suicidal behaviour, as evidenced by a testimonial from a Samaritans Policy Officer.
• UCL (University College London)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UCL is listed as a McPin partner, with Nick McNally (McPin Chair and Trustee) also holding the position of Managing Director, Research at UCLH/UCL, reflecting deep institutional ties.
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023University of Birmingham is a partner through the Institute for Mental Health collaboration and the Birmingham Mental Health translational research centre.
• University of CambridgeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023University of Cambridge is listed as a McPin partner and collaborator in mental health research.
• University of ManchesterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023University of Manchester is listed as a McPin partner and collaborator in mental health research.
• King's College London (KCL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023King's College London is a key academic partner, with longstanding collaboration including contributions from KCL IoPPN researchers joining McPin and joint work on the NIHR Maudsley BRC.
• Institute of Mental Health (Nottingham)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Institute of Mental Health at Nottingham is listed as a McPin partner, collaborating on mental health research and innovation.
• Maudsley CharityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Maudsley Charity is listed as a McPin partner, collaborating on mental health research and public involvement activities.
• What Works Children's Social CareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023What Works Children's Social Care is listed as a McPin partner, reflecting collaboration on children and young people's mental health research.
• University of PlymouthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023University of Plymouth is listed as a McPin partner and collaborator in mental health research.
• UKRI Mental Health Research Networks (March, Emerging Minds, Enurture, Closing the Gap, TRIUMPH, Violence Abuse and Mental Health, SMaRTeN, Loneliness and Social Isolation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022In 2018 UKRI funded eight mental health research networks covering topics from youth mental health to violence and abuse. McPin partnered with these networks to deliver the #MentalHealthResearchMatters campaign alongside Mental Elf and University of Oxford in Autumn 2022, amplifying the networks' work and promoting public involvement in mental health research.
• Mental ElfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Mental Elf is a mental health research communication organisation that partnered with McPin and University of Oxford to deliver the #MentalHealthResearchMatters campaign, producing blogs, webinars, podcasts, and infographics to share mental health research with wider audiences.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022University of Oxford co-led the #MentalHealthResearchMatters campaign alongside McPin and Mental Elf, bringing academic research expertise and reach to the campaign targeting mental health research awareness across the UK.
• NIHR Maudsley BRC (Biomedical Research Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022McPin has worked with the NIHR Maudsley BRC at King's College London, collaborating on public involvement in research and contributing to mental health research programmes.
• Rethink Mental IllnessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022From April 2013 McPin was joined by researchers from the Rethink Mental Illness research team, significantly expanding McPin's research capacity and establishing a foundational partnership in the mental health research sector.
• Time for New Ways, Inclusive Boards, Do it Now Now, Fearless FuturesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022McPin is working with external partners — Time for New Ways, Inclusive Boards, Do it Now Now, and Fearless Futures — to carry out a deep listening exercise on anti-oppression, diversity, and inclusion. Fearless Futures has provided an induction webinar on inclusive workplaces for McPin staff.
• International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders (IAMHRF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020McPin is a member of the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, a global network working to advance mental health research funding and policy. McPin participated in the IAMHRF's global mental health research funding report published in 2026.
• Black Thrive LambethminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020McPin worked on the Black Thrive Lambeth Employment Project, evaluating community-led change to improve employment outcomes for Black communities, combining McPin's peer research expertise with Black Thrive's community focus.
• NIHR School for Public Health ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019McPin has a Senior Public Involvement Coordinator embedded in the NIHR School for Public Health Research's Public Mental Health Programme, providing lived experience expertise across the School's national research portfolio.
• University of Birmingham Institute for Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019McPin leads the collaboration with University of Birmingham Institute for Mental Health on developing a young people's research partnership, with Annabel Walsh (Senior Public Involvement Manager) leading McPin's contribution to the partnership from June 2022.
• Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders (AMHRF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018McPin chairs the Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, a UK-based alliance bringing together leaders who push for change in how mental health research is prioritised and commissioned. This positions McPin at the centre of UK mental health research funding strategy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: Largest UK mental health charity, providing information, support, campaigning, and some research. Comparable as a mental health charity advocating for better research and services, but Mind operates across a much broader service and campaigning portfolio.
• Mental Health Foundation: UK mental health charity focused on prevention, research, and public mental health. Overlaps with McPin in research delivery and policy advocacy, but the Mental Health Foundation operates at significantly greater scale and across a wider prevention agenda.
• Rethink Mental Illness: Major UK mental health charity whose research team joined McPin in 2013, establishing McPin's staffed research unit. Comparable as a mental health charity with research capacity, but Rethink operates at much greater scale across services, campaigning, and support.
• Together for Mental Wellbeing: UK mental health charity providing services and advocacy for people with mental health issues. Comparable in mission focus on people with lived experience, but Together's portfolio is centred on direct service delivery rather than commissioned research.

Direct peers

• MQ: Transforming Mental Health: UK mental health research charity that funds research and advocates for greater investment in mental health science. Highly comparable mission to McPin in advancing mental health research, with McPin adding the specialist lived-experience peer research layer.
• Centre for Mental Health: UK mental health research and policy think tank producing evidence on mental health inequalities, services, and outcomes. Comparable in combining mental health research with policy influence, though McPin centres lived-experience methodology.
• National Survivor User Network (NSUN): UK-wide service-user-led network for people with mental health issues. Highly comparable mission in championing lived experience leadership, with NSUN focused on advocacy and user voice in policy rather than commissioned research delivery.
• Mental Elf: UK-based mental health research communication organisation that partnered with McPin on the #MentalHealthResearchMatters campaign. Both translate mental health research evidence for wider audiences and share an explicit mission to amplify lived experience expertise.

Others

• NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination: NIHR body (incorporating the former INVOLVE) that sets UK standards for public involvement in research. Comparable as a PPI infrastructure partner/influencer, though operating as a public-sector body rather than a commissioned research provider.

Emerging players

• James Lind Alliance: NIHR-supported initiative that brings patients, carers, and clinicians together to set research priorities. Directly comparable in advancing PPI in health research, with a narrower methodological focus (priority setting) versus McPin's broader peer research services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McPinFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcd0nT119twfNvpdxEG6rVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/McpinFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mcpin-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcpinfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The McPin Foundation