Mental Health

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are defined as “potentially traumatic events or chronic stressors that occur before the age of 18 and are uncontrollable to the child.” They include the following:

• Sexual abuse

• Physical abuse or neglect

• Emotional abuse or neglect

• Living in a household where there is domestic violence

• Living with a parent with substance abuse 

• Living with a parent who has a mental illness

• Losing a parent through death, abandonment, or divorce. 

• Having a parent in prison

We support of evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions designed to overcome and prevent the trauma of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). This programme works on several levels, supporting both children and young people affected by ACEs, as well as supporting parents to help break the cycle of trauma across generations. Our two key areas of support are:

1) Support for children and young people

Under this focus, we wish to partner with charities that solely support children and young people who have suffered one or more ACEs, and they do so through evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies. 

We only support charities that have a specialist, single focus on one or more of the following:

• Childhood sexual abuse 

• Living in a household where there is domestic violence, and/or physical and/or emotional neglect

• Living with a parent who has a mental illness and/or substance abuse

• Bereavement and complex loss, including children and young people bereaved by suicide, murder, manslaughter, substance addiction,  or who have a parent in prison.

2) Support for parents

In England alone, nearly half (48%) of adults have experienced at least one ACE. Around 9% of the population have experienced four or more ACEs. While ACEs are prevalent in any socio-economic group, they are 10 times more prevalent among the 20% least privileged in our society. 

We know that many adults only begin to face their own ACEs when they become parents, making this a crucial time for support.

Under this focus, we wish to partner with specialist charities that solely focus on supporting parents and complex family challenges by delivering:

• Evidence-based, whole-family, trauma-informed programmes that help parents to confront their own ACEs and help to break the intergenerational cycle of trauma and abuse.

• Evidence-based, whole-family, trauma-informed programmes for families where a parent or caregiver has a mental illness or substance addiction and is at risk of harming their children. 

The exclusions listed below relate specifically to the Mental Health programme. Before applying, please also consult our What we don't fund page for information on our more general exclusions which apply to all our funding programmes.

The focus of this programme is addressing and preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). 

We only fund charities with a specialist, single focus on the priorities set out in the What we fund and Our funding priorities sections for this programme.

If your charity is one of the following, you are not eligible to apply if:

• Your charity provides some support for children and young people who have experienced ACEs, but this is not your sole focus

• Your charity's sole focus is supporting children and young people who have experienced ACEs, but through the provision of sport and leisure activities, nature based activities, mentoring, befriending, peer support, etc.

• Your charity supports adults who have experienced ACEs but you do not have a specialist programme for parents to help break the intergenerational cycle of trauma and abuse

• You are a general counselling charity

• You are a general youth support and wellbeing charity

• You are a homelessness charity

• You are a hospice (hospices can only apply for our Hospice Care programme)

• You are a refugee / asylum seeker charity (even if you run mental health programmes to overcome trauma and abuse)

• You are a school (including SEN schools)

• You are a volunteer-run charity

If your charity is eligible to apply, the following services or project types are not eligible for support:

• Befriending

• Entertainment activities

• General mental wellbeing support

• General parenting advice

• Leisure activities

• Mentoring

• Nature based activities

• Social care programmes

• Sports based activities

• Wellbeing activities 

This funding programme has two key aims:

1) To support charities that help children and young people who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to overcome their trauma and thrive. 

2) To support charities that help parents address their own severe mental health issues to prevent them from harming their children.

We welcome applications from UK registered charities that work either regionally or nationally and:

• Have as their key focus preventing and/or reducing the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – helping children and young people, and parents and caregivers – see the definition of ACEs above.

• Use trauma-informed approaches and evidence-based interventions 

• Are actively patient led in shaping, running, and improving their services

• Can demonstrate real impact through their own evaluations or independent research

• Have an annual income of less than £20m and at least 5 years’ audited or independently examined accounts 

Read our case studies below for examples of eligible charities. We also encourage you to contact us before applying if you ar eunsure about your eligibility. 

Check your eligibility using the Eligibility Checker.

If you are eligible, submit a brief Expression of Interest via our online application platform (you will be directed to the form once you have successfully completed the Eligibility Checker).

If your request matches our funding priorities, and we think you have at least a 75% chance of being awarded a grant, we will invite you to submit a Full Application.

Check the When to apply section below for the timings of each grant round.

See Our application guidance page for further details and drafting documents for the Expression of Interest and Full Application.

December 2025 Board meeting:

• Please submit your Expression of Interest between 07/07/2025 and 15/08/2025 (17:00hrs)
• Full Application invitations will be sent in the w/c 16/09/2025
• Full Application submission deadline: 10/10/2025 (17:00hrs)
• Full Application outcomes: w/c 08/12/2025

March 2026 Board meeting:

• Timelines TBC

June 2026 Board meeting:

• Timelines TBC

September 2026 Board meeting:

• Timelines TBC

We aim to ensure that our application process is straightforward and accessible. The documents below provide guidance on every question in the Expression of Interest and Full Application forms.  

You can apply directly on our online platform, or you may find it helpful to draft your answers in the drafting documents first, then copying and pasting them into the online forms when you are ready to submit.

• Expression of Interest (guidance for applicants & drafting document)

• Full Application (guidance for applicants & drafting document)

If you have any questions, please contact us at 0117 959 6496 or grants@jamestudor.org.uk. 

When we award you a grant, we ask you to sign our Terms and Conditions of funding. You can see these here.