Maybe Southwest

What Maybe Southwest does

Maybe Southwest is an independent mental health charity registered in England and headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. Founded in 2016 by Dr Sarah Pitt, the organisation provides talking therapy and art psychotherapy to vulnerable children, young people, and adults who cannot access timely NHS support and lack the financial means to pay for private services. Its core products are relational therapy, integrative therapy, art psychotherapy, and therapy assessment, with priority access given to looked after children, individuals experiencing homelessness, and people involved in the criminal justice system. The charity does not operate a technology product; service delivery is in-person, with no app, API, or proprietary software platform.

The operating model is partnership-led rather than self-serve: Maybe Southwest embeds its therapists on-site at four core Bristol partner organisations — 1625ip (homeless young people), the Greenway Centre / Southmead Development Trust (adults with complex health needs), Bristol Youth Justice Service (young offenders), and Eden House (women released from prison). A self-referral pathway is also available for eligible individuals. The clinical team is small, with one full-time Director (Dr Sarah Pitt) plus a roster of qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, and art therapists, overseen by a six-person Board of Trustees.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and grants, with no fees charged to clients. Individual donations are accepted via BACS and online at suggested levels of £10, £20, £30, or £40, while institutional funding comes from named charitable trusts (Albert Hunt, John James, Hilden, Souter) and corporate supporters (Coffee #1, Waitrose). Therapist compensation is capped at £30 per session, well below private practice rates, reflecting the charity's cost-lean structure. Operations are entirely Bristol-based, with no geographic expansion evidenced.

Name

Maybe Southwest

Legal name

Maybe Southwest Charity

Website

https://maybe-southwest.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maybe Southwest is a Bristol-based mental health charity providing talking therapy and art psychotherapy to vulnerable children and adults who cannot access NHS or private services, delivered through partner organisations and funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Mental health therapy
• Talking therapy services
• Art psychotherapy
• Community mental health
• Vulnerable youth support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Maybe Southwest operates as a charitable organization funded primarily through donations. The charity accepts direct BACS bank transfers with no fees, and online donations at suggested amounts of £10, £20, £30, or £40. Donations support operational costs of delivering mental health therapy services to vulnerable individuals who may not otherwise afford support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maybe Southwest is an independent mental health charity that delivers talking therapy and art psychotherapy to vulnerable children, young people, and adults in Bristol who cannot access timely NHS support or afford private services. Core therapeutic modalities include relational therapy, integrative therapy, and art psychotherapy, provided through partner organisation premises and via self-referral. Services include an initial therapy assessment, ongoing sessions, and crisis support, prioritising looked-after children, homeless individuals, and people involved with the criminal justice system.

Product overview

Maybe Southwest is a mental health charity offering a unified service providing talking therapy and art psychotherapy. The core offering consists of Relational Therapy, Art Psychotherapy, Integrative Therapy, and Therapy Assessment services. Services are delivered both through partner organisations (1625ip, Greenway Centre, Bristol Youth Justice Service, Eden House) and via private practice therapists. Priority is given to looked after children, those referred by probation services, and children who have experienced significant childhood abuse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Therapy Services Unified mental health therapy offering that combines talking therapy and art psychotherapy for vulnerable children, young people, and adults in Bristol who cannot access NHS support or afford private services. Delivered through partner organisations and private practice therapists, with priority given to looked-after children, those referred by probation services, and individuals who have experienced significant childhood abuse.
• Relational Therapy A therapeutic approach that uses the relationship between therapist and client to explore problems, drawing on childhood experiences and relationships to foster understanding and healing. Used for clients of all ages receiving talking therapy through Maybe Southwest.
• Art Psychotherapy A form of talking therapy that uses creativity through art-making to help clients express or make sense of challenging thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Does not require artistic ability and is offered to clients who may struggle to articulate emotions verbally.
• Integrative Therapy Therapeutic approach that combines different therapy styles within a relational setting, potentially including creativity, games, poetry, sand play, and art techniques tailored to each client's individual needs.
• Therapy Assessment Initial assessment process in which therapists meet with clients to understand their reasons for seeking therapy and determine the most appropriate therapeutic approach. Serves as the entry point to ongoing therapy services.
• Self-Referral Services Self-referral pathway for eligible individuals including looked-after children, those experiencing homelessness, and individuals involved with the criminal justice system who are not connected to a partner organisation. Enables direct access to assessment and ongoing therapy.
• Offsite Therapy Sessions at Partner Organisations Therapy services delivered on-site at partner organisation premises including 1625ip (homeless young people), Greenway Centre (adults with complex health needs), Bristol Youth Justice Service (young offenders), and Eden House (women released from prison). Embedded delivery model reduces accessibility barriers for vulnerable clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports vulnerable children, young people and adults who cannot access NHS or private mental health services

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 1625ipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1625ip offers support to young people who are homeless, many with challenging childhood experiences. Maybe Southwest provides on-site mental health support at 1625ip premises, offering confidential space for young people to discuss mental health needs, explore experiences, and build resilience.
• Greenway Centre (Southmead Development Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaybe SW collaborates with Southmead Development Trust to offer mental health support to adults and older adults with complex health needs at the Greenway Centre. Services aim to improve health and wellbeing, increase social connections, and support return to work or training where appropriate.
• Bristol Youth Justice ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBristol Youth Justice Service works with young people at risk of offending or convicted of offences. Maybe Southwest provides mental health support to these young people who frequently have mental health issues affecting their behaviour and ability to relate to others effectively.
• Eden HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEden House provides accommodation for women released from prison with no suitable home to return to. Maybe Southwest offers mental health support to these women who often have complex needs and challenging childhood experiences that have never been addressed, helping them work towards healthier coping strategies.
• Coffee #1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee #1 is listed as a supporter of Maybe Southwest, providing funding or other support to help the charity operate.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Anna Freud Centre: UK charity focused on children's and young people's mental health through research, training, and frontline services. Comparable clinical and trauma-informed approach with similar beneficiary focus.
• Off the Record (Bristol): Bristol-based charity offering free counselling and mental health support to young people aged 11-25. Most direct geographic and service-line peer, competing for the same Bristol youth mental health referral ecosystem.
• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing counselling and emotional support to children, particularly those in schools and disadvantaged communities. Highly comparable given shared mission of reaching children who struggle to access mainstream services, though Place2Be is school-anchored.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, combining direct support, advocacy, and a parent helpline. Comparable target population and therapy/advice mix to Maybe Southwest's CYP work, though YoungMinds operates at national scale.
• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): Charity providing mental health support, particularly to men in crisis, via helpline and webchat. Comparable donation-funded charity model delivering accessible mental health interventions to underserved groups.

Others

• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting homeless young people aged 16-25. Highly relevant ecosystem peer given Maybe Southwest's therapy work at 1625ip with the same beneficiary cohort, though Centrepoint is a housing rather than therapy provider.

Broad incumbents

• Rethink Mental Illness: National charity supporting people severely affected by mental illness, including advice, services, and group programmes. Broader scope but overlapping mental health support delivery model for vulnerable adults.
• Mind: National mental health charity providing advice, support, and local services across England and Wales. Overlapping mission around access to mental health support, but operates at far greater scale and across many service lines.

Regional players

• Second Step: Bristol and South West mental health and housing charity supporting people with mental health difficulties, often with complex needs. Overlapping geography and cohort, including ex-offender pathways.
• Bristol Mind: Local Mind affiliate serving adults in Bristol with mental health information, support groups, and services. Directly competes for Bristol-based adult mental health funding and referrals in the same geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maybe-southwest

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Maybe Southwest