A Southampton-based mental health charity is set to benefit from a significant financial boost, as it receives more than £50,000 in new funding to enhance its support for young people.
No Limits South has been awarded £58,000 as part of a £7 million allocation from the Government to 24 Early Support Hubs across England. These hubs provide crucial, walk-in mental health services aimed at early intervention, reducing the likelihood of severe mental illness, and eliminating barriers to care without requiring referrals or doctor appointments.
This latest round of funding will enable No Limits South and other hubs nationwide to deliver an estimated 10,000 additional mental health interventions over the next year. These interventions will include group therapy sessions, individual counseling, specialized treatments, and targeted support services.
For No Limits South, the funding will facilitate the continuation of its expanded virtual advice hub, as well as the enhancement of its in-person advice center with the addition of a youth worker. This new role will focus on providing intensive, tailored support to vulnerable young people navigating personal challenges.
The investment aligns with broader reforms in mental health care, including updates to the Mental Health Act and a £26 million initiative to establish new crisis centers. Additionally, funding has been confirmed to expand access to talking therapies for an extra 380,000 patients, alongside the launch of one of the world’s first 24/7 mental health crisis support services via NHS 111.
Recent data from the UK public healthcare system highlights the growing need for such services, revealing that 21% of eight to 16-year-olds are likely to have a mental health condition—a seven-percentage-point increase since 2017.
The evaluation of the Early Support Hubs programme will play a pivotal role in shaping future mental health services. Studies indicate that these open-access hubs effectively reach demographics that are often underrepresented in traditional NHS or school-based services, including older adolescents and individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds.
This funding marks a crucial step in strengthening mental health support for young people, ensuring timely and accessible care for those in need.
