On 26th March 2026 we were delighted to host a webinar on how to improve support for young women’s mental health, drawing on insights from our Young Women in Mind grant programme.
We were joined by Rebecca Friel, CEO at Odd Arts and Nicky Harkin, CEO from ARCH Teesside -Sexual Violence Support Service. Both organisations are recipients of Young Women in Mind grants for projects that are delivering age appropriate and gender informed support to young women. We heard valuable insights and practical examples of how their services are breaking down barriers to access, meeting complex needs and helping young women to thrive.
We were also joined by Researcher, Adetola Obateru and Andy Bell, CEO, from the Centre for Mental Health, who shared key lessons and recommendations from their independent evaluation of the grant programme, Empowering Minds, including the identified model of what effective mental health provision for young women looks like. Our final guest speaker was Olivia Rowe, Mental Health Strategy Lead, at the Department of Health and Social Care, who gave a helpful overview of where young women’s mental health features in current national policy.
Our Young Women in Mind grants manager, Sonja Forbes, gave an overview of the programme and the event was chaired by Pilgrim Trust director, Sue Bowers.
Links to presenters’ slides:
Sonja Forbes, Pilgrim Trust’s Young Women in Mind grants manager.
Rebecca Friel, CEO, at Odd Arts.
Nicky Harkin, CEO, from ARCH Teesside- Sexual Violence Support Service.
Adetola Obateru, Researcher and Andy Bell, CEO, from the Centre for Mental Health.
Olivia Rowe, Mental Health Strategy Lead, at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Feature image: courtesy of Odd Arts