Vital young people’s mental health charity at risk of closing

A Lancaster charity providing specialist trauma informed mental health support to local young people is seeking a partner to secure the future of its service after trustees concluded that the charity is no longer financially viable in its current standalone form.

Achieve Change and Engagement (ACE) provides free highly effective, one-to-one support to children and young people aged 10 to 25 across Lancaster and Morecambe.

The charity currently has over 150 young people waiting for support and has already supported thousands of children and young people since it was founded in 2008.

ACE is seeking a youth, health, community or other suitable organisation that could merge with the charity, take on its functions or develop another arrangement allowing the specialist service to continue.

The trustees’ priority is the future of the service, rather than preserving ACE as a standalone organisation.

Interim CEO Julian Prior said: “This is an extremely difficult decision, but our priority has always been the young people we support. ACE is a highly valued specialist service that has been built over many years, we want to see that expertise and support continue.

“We are looking for an organisation where the service can become part of a stronger and more sustainable structure, with the infrastructure, resources and funding base to support its future.

“For the right organisation, this is an opportunity to take on an established local service, an experienced team of counsellors and strong relationships with young people, families and referral partners, rather than having to build that provision from scratch.

“The need for children’s mental health support is growing and want to find a partner who shares our commitment to ensuring young people in Lancaster and Morecambe can continue to access the specialist support they need.”

Rising demand, increasing costs

ACE’s position comes as demand for children’s mental health support continues to rise across England.

The Children’s Commissioner for England reported in June 2026 that more than one million children had an active referral to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services in 2024-25, almost twice the number recorded in 2018-19.

ACE says it is experiencing similar pressures locally.

The charity was previously supported through statutory NHS contracts, but those contracts were withdrawn several years ago. It has since relied on grants and other charitable income, while demand and the cost of delivering its service have continued to increase.

For a small specialist charity, the combination of rising costs, increasing demand and increasingly competitive and unpredictable funding has made the current standalone model unsustainable.

A service worth preserving

Trustees believe ACE’s existing expertise and infrastructure should be integrated into a stronger and more sustainable organisation rather than recreated elsewhere.

The charity has experienced practitioners, safeguarding arrangements, referral pathways and established relationships with schools, health professionals, social care, families and other organisations working with children and young people.

Its specialist focus is supporting young people whose mental health has been affected by adverse or traumatic experiences, particularly those who may not meet the threshold for specialist NHS mental health services but are nevertheless experiencing significant distress. A parent of a young person supported by ACE said, “Without a doubt, the support that ACE provided saved my child’s life.”

No immediate change for young people currently receiving support

There is no immediate change to the support currently being provided to young people already engaged with ACE. However, the charity is currently unable to accept new referrals while it prioritises the young people already waiting for support.

ACE expects to continue operating while discussions with potential partners take place. Unless a suitable arrangement can be found, however, the charity may have to cease operating by March 2027.

Simon Kay, Chair of Trustees added: “We have reached this position because the organisation we are today is simply too small to absorb the pressures we are facing indefinitely. That does not mean the service itself should disappear.

“We believe there is a strong case for finding the service a sustainable home within an organisation that can help it grow and reach more young people in need of support.”

ACE is particularly keen to hear from:

• Charities providing children’s or young people’s mental health, wellbeing or trauma services.

• Health, wellbeing or community organisations with complementary services.

• Organisations with the infrastructure and sustainable funding to incorporate an established specialist service.

• Organisations interested in a merger, transfer of functions or another strategic partnership.

Potential partners are invited to contact ACE for an initial confidential discussion.

For further information or to discuss a potential partnership:

Julian Prior Achieve Change and Engagement (ACE) Tel: 07468 600 903 Email: [email protected]

Achieve Change and Engagement is a registered charity (No. 1147278), based in Lancaster and working across Lancaster District, including Morecambe.