A three-year charity partnership launching today between Mental Health Innovations and the Zurich Community Trust will see more than 45,000 young people and children in crisis supported over the next three years, providing crucial mental health support to hundreds of thousands of young people who have nowhere else to turn.
Shout, powered by MHI, is the UK’s first free, confidential and accessible crisis text support service, providing in the moment support to people who desperately need it. Launched in 2018, the service provides round-the-clock mental health support, plugging a gap when traditional support services are closed. As NHS waiting lists rose after the Covid-19 pandemic, Shout has provided a lifeline to thousands of children, young people and adults who have reached out for support.
From left to right: Caroline Westley, Director of Income, Michael Lister, Chair of the Youth Advisory Board and Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations at the Zurich Community Trust launch event.
In 2025 alone, trained Shout Volunteers overseen by our team of Clinical Supervisors, took 321,000 conversations with 158,000 young people, one in three mentioned suicide.
More than three quarters (77%) said they found their conversation helpful, 62% felt calmer afterwards and more than half (53%) said they felt able to work out their problems better as a result. More than a third of young people (35%) told us they had no-one else they could speak to.
The need to support our nation’s young people has never been greater. One in five now has a probable mental health problem, nearly double the rate of six years ago. This crisis, further fuelled by the pandemic, a loneliness epidemic, the pressures of poverty, inequality, climate change and dwindling youth services is putting future generations at severe risk. As technology evolves, so too has the level of need for the service. Last year, more than 14% of people using Shout for the first time - around 250 each day - were referred to us by ChatGPT.
Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Zurich Community Trust to support thousands more children and young people with their mental health. As the UK’s only free, anonymous 24/7 crisis text service, Shout is there to ensure no one faces a crisis alone, and ZCT’s incredible generosity will help us be there for people who feel they have nowhere else to turn. We look forward to working side by side over the next three years to continue to provide a vital lifeline to young people and children across the UK who so desperately need it.”
Alongside a grant of £150,000 per year for the next three years, the partnership will also see Zurich staff dedicate their time, skills and knowledge to fundraising efforts for the Shout service, helping us raise vital funds that keep our support running 365 days a year.
Samantha Owen, Interim Head of Zurich Community Trust, said: “At Zurich Community Trust, we believe the need for mental health support has never been greater, especially for young people.
“That’s why we are so proud to support Mental Health Innovations with a three-year partnership, which will help make sure vital, round-the-clock support is available, when and where it’s needed most.
“This year, we’ve expanded our support with the More Than Money approach - providing extra funding for wellbeing, training, and development. Our charity partners can keep supporting those in need and grow sustainably, with access to dedicated resources for new projects.”
Zurich Community Trust will also be partnering with Young Lives Vs Cancer, which will provide an opportunity for us to support the charity’s beneficiaries with our range of digital tools and services for young people’s mental health.
