Growing Support for Children and Young People Across Surrey

At The Matthew Hackney Foundation, our vision is that every child and young person in Surrey has access to the support they need for their mental wellbeing. We know that when young people feel heard, understood and supported, they are far more likely to grow in confidence, build resilience, and reach their full potential.

Now, halfway through this academic year, we are incredibly proud of what has already been achieved.

Since September, we have supported more than 100 children, young people and their carers, delivering over 400 counselling sessions to families across Surrey.

We have worked alongside 23 local schools, providing vital in-school support, and have also delivered private sessions to children and young people who might not otherwise have had access to professional counselling.

Behind every number is a young person who has felt overwhelmed.

A parent who didn’t know where to turn.

A family who needed someone to listen.

When “Aisha” (name changed), aged 14, first came to counselling, she described feeling “numb” most of the time. She had stopped seeing friends, struggled to sleep, and her confidence had dropped so much that speaking in class felt impossible. At home, her mum felt helpless — she knew something wasn’t right but didn’t know how to reach her.

Through weekly sessions, Aisha slowly began to open up. She found ways to put words to feelings she had been holding inside for months. With the support of her counsellor, she began rebuilding her self-esteem and developing coping strategies to manage her anxiety.

A few months later, her mum shared that Aisha was laughing again at home. She had reconnected with a friend and felt able to ask for help at school when she felt overwhelmed.

And we are not stopping there.

As demand continues to grow, so does our service. We are currently working to engage with a further 7 local schools, expanding our reach to ensure more children receive support earlier.

Alongside our counselling work, we are about to partner with 'My Imagination' to deliver a Superhero Early Intervention Workshop — a creative, strengths-based programme designed to help children (aged between 4 and 9 years) recognise their “inner superpowers.” Through engaging activities and discussion, young people learn about emotions, resilience, coping strategies and self-belief in a safe and supportive environment. By intervening early, we help children build the tools they need before challenges become overwhelming.

We have also opened additional spaces within our part-funded counselling service, creating capacity for a further 10 children, young people and their carers to access affordable, professional mental health support.

This work is only possible because of the generosity, encouragement and belief of our supporters, fundraisers, partner schools and wider community.

Thank you.

Thank you for helping us ensure that no child or young person feels alone in their struggles.

As demand continues to grow across Surrey, so too does the need for sustainable funding. Every donation helps us provide more sessions, reach more schools, and support more families who may otherwise go without help.

If you believe, as we do, that every child deserves access to mental health support, you can help us continue this vital work. Whether through fundraising, partnership or donation, your support directly enables life-changing counselling for children and young people across our community.

And if you are a parent, carer or young person who is unable to access support elsewhere and would like to enquire about our private part-funded counselling sessions, you can self-refer via our website:

👉 https://www.thematthewhackneyfoundation.co.uk/general-4

Together, we can ensure that more young people feel heard, supported and empowered to reach their full potential 💛