Suicide Prevention & Self-harm Support
The Life Matters is a UK children’s mental health charity providing one-to-one support for children and training for schools. We deliver compassionate interventions for children aged 8–17 to help prevent self-harm and suicide, while promoting emotional wellbeing and resilience.
Voices Matter
Our Services
1,000 British pounds
250 British pounds
250 British pounds
FREE T&Cs apply
100 British pounds
Our Mission and Vision
The Life Matters is dedicated to preventing self-harm and suicide among children aged 8 to 17 in Kent, UK. We aim to provide crucial support, resources, and education.
The ‘A Child’s Voice’ model is at the heart of everything we do
Featured on BBC Radio Kent, the A Child’s Voice Model is a 10-week programme co-designed with children and guided by professionals. It helps children understand mental health, encourages them to speak up, and supports them in building resilience.
The programme’s workbook includes instant safeguarding measures, ensuring that no child ever has to face danger alone.
How It Works
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10-week programme designed for children aged 8–17
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Co-designed with children to ensure relevance and engagement
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Professional input ensures best-practice guidance
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Safeguarding measures in place to provide immediate support if needed
Impact
In our most recent cohort, children and young people reported:
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95% reduction in self-harm and suicidal thoughts
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Increased resilience
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Fewer GP and hospital visits
These results were measured using evaluation forms based on standards from the Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC), a UK network that helps organisations track children’s mental health reliably.
To our knowledge this programme is one of the only evidence-based interventions of its kind in the UK.
Supporting Professionals
The A Child’s Voice programme is a robust safeguarding tool that helps children access immediate crisis support while assisting professionals in meeting established child protection standards.
Voices from the community
"The Life Matters has done more for my 12-year-old daughter than the children’s mental health team (CAMHS) has managed in four years. Their support, understanding, and guidance have truly made a difference in her life."
— A grateful mum and dad
We can provide anonymised examples of our work to help schools and professionals see the impact of our support. Please contact us at the office@thelifematters.co.uk with any requests.
—Maggie Mae, 17
"I was lost before I started this programme at where I wanted to go in my future but after the first week of the programme, I realised my dream would be to help people. This will allow me to use my life experience to help others and that same week I started to apply for university for a placement studying mental health nursing".
—Female, Age 14 Young carer Fort
Pitt School Kent
Comments during the programme (Week 5):
“This course is helping me understand why I think and feel the way I do in certain situations. I already understand myself much better and feel more confident managing challenging situations.”
—Female, Age 14
Aspire Academy
“I was always in trouble at school, but this programme helped me understand positive relationships and boundaries, which made me feel safe. I used self-harm as a way to cope. The Life Matters was my advocate at school and helped me find my voice. Now, my voice keeps me safe in positive ways.”
