Our mission
BrightSteps Foundation exists to make early mental health support normal, accessible, and stigma-free for young people aged 11–25. We believe no young person should have to reach crisis point before receiving help.
Our story
BrightSteps was created in 2018 by youth workers and clinical psychologists responding to long waiting times for mental health support.
They saw a gap between early signs of struggle and formal clinical intervention and built a model focused on prevention rather than crisis response.
What began as a small mentoring initiative has grown into a UK-wide network of youth wellbeing programmes delivered in schools, communities, and online.
They saw a gap between early signs of struggle and formal clinical intervention and built a model focused on prevention rather than crisis response.
What began as a small mentoring initiative has grown into a UK-wide network of youth wellbeing programmes delivered in schools, communities, and online.
Our approach
We continually adapt our services based on feedback from young people. Our work combines:
Positive psychology
Trauma-informed practice
What we believe
Our impact
In the past year:
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34
schools partnered with us across the UK
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1,200+
young people accessed BrightSteps mentoring
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92 %
reported improved confidence
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87 %
said they felt better able to manage anxiety
Our policy
Governance
We are led by a board of trustees who ensure our work remains ethical, transparent, and aligned with our mission.
Transparency
We are committed to accountability in everything we do. Our impact reports and financial summaries are published annually.
Our team
BrightSteps is made up of youth mentors, wellbeing practitioners, educators, and clinical advisors. Together we bring experience from mental health services, education, and community work.