In Merseyside, mental health remains one of the region’s most pressing challenges. Recent data highlights that one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 are likely living with a mental disorder. Among adults, one in four in Cheshire and Merseyside report experiencing mental health issues, with boroughs St Helens, Sefton, Knowsley, Halton, and Wirral recording suicide rates above the national average.

At the Community Foundation for Merseyside (CFM), mental health support has long been a priority. We work alongside dedicated donors who are committed to tackling mental ill health through funding grassroots groups, community initiatives, and specialist support services across the region.

To better understand the scale of this support, we conducted an in-depth review of our grant database. We analysed all funded projects that identified their primary issue as mental health, counselling, sexual abuse, health and wellbeing, or family issues. For the latter two categories, which are broader, we reviewed individual project summaries to ensure they had a clear mental health focus. To date, CFM has distributed over:

The impact of this work is only possible thanks to the generosity and vision of our funding partners. Our top contributors to mental health causes in Merseyside include:

These funders have enabled a wide range of transformative projects, from youth counselling and peer mentoring to wellbeing workshops, arts therapy, and social prescribing initiatives.

As the mental health crisis continues to affect individuals and families across Merseyside, CFM remains committed to working with donors, partners, and community groups to fund compassionate, evidence-based responses.

Together, we can ensure that more people have access to the support they need, when they need it most.