Call for Applications:  Young Women in Mind 2026-2028 – Funding Programme for Young Women’s Mental Health Services

Application Deadlines: Stage One – June 22, 2026 | Stage Two – August 24, 2026

About the Programme

Young Women in Mind 2026–2028 is a collaborative funding programme set up by the Pilgrim Trust, the Prudence Trust and the Julia Rausing Trust to support charities providing gender‑specific therapeutic mental health support for girls and young women aged 14–25 in the UK. Together, we will invest £5 million over three years (2026–2028). As funders, we have come together around a shared concern: young women are experiencing worsening mental health outcomes, yet too many still struggle to access timely support that reflects their lived realities and meets them in the community spaces they trust and turn to for help. The programme will support charities to grow, strengthen or adapt existing therapeutic mental health services. By pooling funds we aim to ensure that more young women can access support that meets their needs effectively particularly where mental health needs are already present and risk becoming entrenched without timely and effective help.

Grant Details

• Grant Size: £200,000 to £500,000 spread over three years
• What Funding Covers: Project costs, staff costs and fees, advocacy, learning and evaluation costs
• Geographical Areas: Must operate in either Northern Ireland, Scotland or the following regions of England: North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, the Midlands. Organisations working UK-wide or England-wide are also welcome to apply for work across their remit
• Age Range of User Group: Must work with young people aged 14–25 (organisations may also work with a wider age range)
• Services Offered: You already deliver therapeutic mental health services

Key Dates

• Programme Opens: May 11, 2026
• Stage One Application Deadline: June 22, 2026
• Stage Two Application Deadline: August 24, 2026
• Notification of Decisions: End of November 2026

Who Can Apply

You can apply to this grant programme if:

• You are a UK registered charity (for at least three years) and already deliver therapeutic mental health services

Organisation Type (either):

• Mental health charity with a clear youth and mental health mission and an annual income of £750,000+

OR

• Specialist charity led by and for women and girls, with a clear mental health mission, experience of delivering services to under 18s, and an annual income of £350,000+

Geographic Requirement:

• You must operate in either Northern Ireland, Scotland or the following regions of England: North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, the Midlands. Organisations working UK-wide or England-wide can apply for work across their remit

Please read the funding guidelines for the full eligibility criteria.

Key Principles for Creating a Good Service

The funders have identified key principles that should guide services supported by this programme. These are outlined in the Funding Guidelines and emphasize:

• Gender-specific, trauma-informed approaches
• Accessibility and trust within communities
• Early intervention to prevent entrenchment of mental health needs
• Collaboration with young women in service design and delivery

How to Apply

To apply, please read the fund guidelines and take the eligibility quiz.

Application Process:

1. Read the Funding Guidelines – Available on the Pilgrim Trust website
2. Take the Eligibility Quiz – To confirm your organisation meets the criteria
3. Submit Stage One Application – By June 22, 2026
4. Submit Stage Two Application (if shortlisted) – By August 24, 2026

Further Information:

• Read the Funding Guidelines for 2026
• Review the key principles for creating a good service
• Take the Eligibility Quiz

Meet the Funder Webinar: The funders will be hosting a “Meet the Funder” webinar in early June. Please follow them on Eventbrite to be notified.

Why Young Women? Why Now?

Young women are experiencing worsening mental health outcomes across the UK. Rates of self-harm, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders have increased significantly in recent years, particularly among adolescent girls and young women. Yet too many still struggle to access timely support that reflects their lived realities.

Barriers include:

• Long waiting lists for NHS mental health services
• Services that are not designed with young women’s specific needs in mind
• Lack of trust in formal mental health systems
• Difficulty accessing support in community spaces where young women already feel safe

The Young Women in Mind programme addresses these gaps by supporting charities that already deliver therapeutic mental health services to grow, strengthen, or adapt their offerings. By investing £5 million over three years, the three trusts aim to ensure that more young women can access support that meets their needs effectively – particularly where mental health needs are already present and risk becoming entrenched without timely and effective help.

Click here to apply

For More Information: Visit the Official Pilgrim Trust Young Women’s Mental Health Grants Page