Reducing Self-Harm. Restoring Hope. Saving Lives.
Our A Child’s Voice® Programme achieves a 95% reduction in self-harm & suicidal thoughts—supporting children, families, and schools through early, life-changing intervention.
BBC RADIO KENT recognised | Pride in Medway Awards finalists.
Regististration 1193469
Every Child Deserves Hope, Were Here to Help We don't just talk, we make real change
Preventing Child Suicide Through Early Intervention
Early support can save lives. Recognising distress and responding quickly gives children and young people the best chance of recovery.
This work is shaped by lived experience.
Our founder, Mary, lost her brother Lee to suicide when he was just 25 years old.
This devastating loss led to a lifelong commitment to helping other families recognise the signs early and access the right support before it is too late.
The Problem
Many children are:
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Struggling in silence
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Missing early intervention
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Reaching crisis before support is available
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Tragically, some children do die by suicide, and while exact figures are often underreported or difficult to determine, the numbers remain deeply concerning
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Children across the nation are facing a growing mental health crisis, with rising rates of self-harm highlighting an urgent need for awareness, support, and early intervention.
We exist to change that
Our Solution
A Child’s Voice® is our flagship 10-week, 1:1 early intervention programme focused specifically on self-harm and suicide prevention and, to our knowledge, is the only programme of its kind in the UK.
Co-designed with children & young people and grounded in:
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Bridging clinical research with social work practices
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Suicide risk awareness and structured safety planning
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Mental health education to empower children and young people to use their voice
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Trauma-informed, strengths-based care
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Raising awareness and education
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We recruit Children’s Youth Ambassadors in schools to actively promote and use our free mental health and safety planning resources
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We have our own Young Ambassadors who promote awareness of mental health and safety planning within our charity, helping to educate children on how to stay safe from harm
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We offer a whole school approach for PSHE
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Our programme is intentionally designed to be accessible and effective for children with ADHD and autism
It is delivered directly to children already presenting with risk in schools or professional settings.
This is structured intervention — not signposting.
Measured Outcomes & What we've achieved
In our most recent cohort:
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95% reduction in self-harm and suicidal thoughts
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0 suicide attempts during programme delivery
Across all cohorts:
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60 children directly supported
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180+ family members reached
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no suicide attempts recorded during participation
Our model combines:
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evidence-informed practice
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frontline safeguarding experience
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lived experience co-design
Programmes are evaluated using CORC-aligned outcome measures, tracking measurable improvements in wellbeing, confidence, and help-seeking behaviour.
Recognition
Recognised locally and Nationally
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BBC RADIO KENT - Making A Difference in the community
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Nominated for Pride in Medway Awards 2026
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Parents and professionals
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In just 10 weeks, we were able to support one young person more than CAMHS had over four long years, according to her mother
Our Partners
Our Partnerships
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Statutory Services
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Police and Criminal Justice Services
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Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
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NHS and Health Services
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Charitable and Voluntary Sector Organisations
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Local Authorities (one Government contract)
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Safeguarding Partnerships and Multi-Agency Networks
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Universities and Higher Education Institutions
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Schools, Colleges, and Alternative Education Settings
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Early Help and Family Support Services
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Social Workers and Early Help Practitioners
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Youth Offending Teams (YOT) / Youth Justice Services
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Probation Services
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Housing Associations
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Supported Accommodation Providers (Children and Young People)
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Housing and Homelessness Services
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Domestic Abuse Support Services
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Substance Misuse and Recovery Services
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Community and Faith-Based Organisations
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Public Health Services
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Virtual Schools (for Children in Care)
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Foster Care and Residential Care Providers
Holding space for a child’s voice
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Train with us
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Fund a programme Support delivery of A Childs Voice® in Schools
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Sponsor a child From £10, help a child access early intervention suppor
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Partner with us Work with us to scale Urgent Intervention & prevention nationally
Thanks to MHS Homes
Who have partnered with us to support our Hub for You initiative. They are dedicated to helping the local community and strengthening family wellbeing.
Parents are warmly invited to visit our hub to learn more about our services.
When: Fridays, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Broadside, Leviathan Way, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4LL
Come along, ask questions, and find out how we can support your child and family.
Our Mission
We provide early intervention and support for children and young people aged 8–18 who are at risk of self-harm, self-harming, or experiencing suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Through A Child’s Voice®, we help children feel heard, safe, and supported, while building resilience and providing tools for recovery and prevention of future harm.
Our Vision
We are working towards a UK where every child has access to A Child’s Voice® programmes — where no child suffers in silence, no family faces crisis alone, and every young person is supported to heal, thrive, and build lasting resilience.
We are already expanding our impact beyond Kent, including reaching Edinburgh, as we grow nationally to ensure no child is left without support.
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Driving Change Through the Power of a Child’s Voice
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A selection of testimonials is shown below,
with more available on our Testimonials page
“In just 10 weeks, The A Child’s Voice® programme achieved what others couldn’t
in years.”
From silence to strength — a journey of healing and hope.
Young person, age 15 (Victory Academy school, Chatham):
“I was self-harming and struggling with suicidal thoughts. After week 1, I made a self-pledge and stopped self-harming. I now have safety tools, feel more confident, and I’ve returned to school.”
Parent feedback:
“My daughter is more confident and able to express her feelings. In 10 weeks, this did more than CAMHS has in four years.”
At Chatham Grammar School, we have observed a significant improvement in our students’ focus, confidence, and resilience throughout this programme. Students have demonstrated increased independence and a more positive outlook towards their future.
We extend our sincere thanks to The Life Matters for their valued support.
All of our resources are developed through A Child’s Voice®, with input from our young ambassadors to ensure children’s perspectives are heard, valued, and reflected in everything we do.
Zuzanna is an Ambassador who supports our charity by promoting children’s education and awareness. She uses our resources to support students at Victory Academy School in her role as a mentor, using her skills to guide and support young people.
Zuzanna, 17, lives in Kent England and is a student in Kent and studies at The Victory Academy. She is studying criminology and sociology, with a strong interest in understanding the social factors that impact young people’s mental health. As a Youth Mental Health Awareness Ambassador at Life Matters, she supports the development and sharing of youth-focused information and resources.
Alongside her role at school as a peer mentor, she is passionate about raising awareness, reducing stigma, and helping young people access trusted information on self-harm and mental wellbeing. Her work focuses on education and awareness, both within her school community and through digital content.
Katie helps develop our charity’s safeguarding resources, ensuring that children across the UK have access to immediate support. She is an A Child’s Voice® Youth Mental Health Awareness Ambassador for safeguarding, working to help keep children safe.
Katie, 18, lives in Oxfordshire, England, and has also studied in the United States, giving her a broad and diverse perspective on youth development and wellbeing.
She is passionate about supporting children and young people to keep themselves safe and to better understand safeguarding in relation to their mental wellbeing. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to empowering young people with the knowledge and confidence they need to recognise risks, seek support, and make informed decisions about their safety.
Through her advocacy, Katie aims to promote awareness, encourage open conversations, and ensure that young people have access to trusted guidance and resources to support their mental health.
Are you interested in becoming an Ambassador for your school?
please email us at office@thelifematters.co.uk.
We look forward to hearing from you.
A Child’s Voice®
A Whole-School PSHE Programme
Empowering pupils to speak, be heard, and stay safe
Proudly supported by Kent County Council
Featured in the KSCMP Education Safeguarding Newsletter
Why Schools Choose A Child’s Voice®
A Child’s Voice® is a safeguarding-led PSHE programme designed to give pupils the confidence, language, and support to express concerns and seek help.
Developed through lived experience and shaped by young ambassadors, the programme ensures that pupil voice is not just encouraged — it is embedded across the whole school.
What Makes This Programme Different
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Whole-school approach – supports pupils, staff, and safeguarding culture
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Pupil voice at the centre – informed by real experiences and young ambassadors
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Early intervention focus – helping identify concerns before they escalate
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Safeguarding aligned – supports statutory responsibilities and best practice
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Practical and accessible – easy for schools to implement
Impact for Your School
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Pupils feel safer, heard, and more confident to speak up
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Staff are better equipped to respond to concerns
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Strengthens your safeguarding and wellbeing provision
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Supports Ofsted expectations around pupil voice and safety
A Programme You Can Trust
Recognised and supported by local safeguarding partners, A Child’s Voice® is already making a difference in schools by creating safer environments where every child knows their voice matters.
Every child deserves to be heard before a crisis occurs.
A Child’s Voice is a CPD-accredited, 10-week PSHE programme designed to support early intervention for self-harm and suicide prevention. Developed from clinical research and social work practice, it equips schools with trauma-informed, child-centred support to build emotional well-being.
Click here for more details on the PSHE school licence.
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Right now, Lucy is doing something truly meaningful—she’s raising funds for our charity, and we would greatly appreciate your support.
If you’re able to help, whether by making a donation, sharing the fundraiser, or simply spreading the word, it would make a real and lasting difference. Every contribution goes directly toward supporting the work we do, and Lucy’s efforts play a vital role in making that possible.
Please take a moment to support her if you can. Your generosity, encouragement, and kindness help keep our mission moving forward.
Thank you for being part of something that matters 💛
Visit Lucy’s fundraising page to learn more and donate.
Together, we can achieve more.
The Life Matters relies on donations to provide our life-saving services.
We are grateful for every personal contribution and for the generous support of local companies and organisations whose sponsorship helps us deliver A Child’s Voice and other vital programmes to children and young people at risk.
Accreditations, memberships, alliances and supporters
Member of the Kent & Medway Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Kent & Medway Adult Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Lambeth Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Southwark Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Scotland Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Hertfordshire Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Contact us
Tel: 01634 714088
Mobile: 07760 464 294
Email;