We're in the middle of a mental health emergency.
Every year, 1 in 4 adults in England and Wales experience a mental health problem. And right now, more young people than ever are reaching crisis point – with emergency referrals in England rising by over 50% in just 3 years.
But at the same time, we’re seeing mental health pushed down the list of priorities by government and funders. Inequality and injustice are getting worse – and too many people are left without the support they need.
That’s why we need a bold, focused strategy.
To fight for mental health. For support. For respect. For everyone.
What success looks like
Everyone in England and Wales will know they can turn to Mind when they need support with their mental health. We want to be the most trusted charity for mental health – as a campaigner, partner, shop, and service provider.
We can inspire more people to support Mind.
This will help us raise money, create better services, share knowledge, and run powerful campaigns – in local communities, across the country, and with our equity partners.
We will work closely together across all parts of Mind. We’ll share ideas, spaces, and resources so we can make a bigger difference for the people and communities we support.
We will have helped build a country where everyone has good mental health. We’ll do this by fighting unfairness and inequality through our campaigns, research, and policy work.
Our strategy is a commitment to the people of England and Wales. We will make sure that no mind is left behind.
– Sarah Hughes, Mind CEO
How we'll do it
Mind has 4 pillars to guide how we work and help us achieve our goals.
Changing minds
- We want everyone to understand mental health better - including mental illnesses that people don’t often talk about. We’ll help change public attitudes so people feel less judged and more supported.
- We’ll speak up when things are wrong. We’ll fight for mental health support that is fair, safe, and full of hope – for everyone, no matter who they are.
- We’ll call out racism and unfair treatment that harms people’s mental health.
- We’ll work with adults and young people - especially those who are often left out – so they can lead change, with Mind beside them.
- We’ll challenge unfair systems and work to make mental health services better for everyone.
Equitable Minds
- We’ll focus on people who are most often left out, to help break the links between poverty, racism, and mental health problems.
- We’ll make sure anti-racism is part of everything we do.
- We’ll stand up for young people’s rights and work closely with our Youth Voice Network to shape our plans.
- We’ll work with local Minds and other partners to make sure the people who use our services help lead the work. This includes putting a big focus on fairness and equality through the Advancing Mental Health Equalities Framework.
- We’ll make sure Mind is a place where everyone feels they belong – no matter who they are. And we’ll make sure our work inside and outside the charity includes and supports people from all marginalised groups.
You can find out more on our equitable Minds page.
Want to learn more about Mind's strategy?
Engaging Minds
- We’ll work with our amazing supporters and inspire more people to get involved. That might be by giving their time, money, or voice to help us make sure everyone with a mental health problem gets support and respect.
- We’ll work closely with local Minds to help their life-changing services reach more people and make a bigger difference in their communities.
- We’ll adapt how we work in different parts of England and Wales, so we can have the biggest impact both locally and nationally. This includes using local plans in England and a special framework in Wales.
- We’ll work with the public to build a fairer world – one where we all have good mental health, and where everyone gets the support they need, without judgement.
- We’re also planning for the future through The Big Conversation: Mental Health 2030, where we’ll listen to people’s ideas for what comes next.
Supporting Minds
- We’ll give people clear information so they can get the help they need, understand their rights, and live full lives.
- We’ll keep supporting peer support – where people with similar experiences help each other. We’ll make sure there’s always a safe space to give and get support, day or night.
- We’ll help local Minds and other partners try out new ideas, grow their services, and reach more people. We’ll fund and support different types of mental health help, so people across the country get services that work well for them.
- We’ll design our services by listening to people who are often left out, so we can make sure everything we do is fair and inclusive.
- We’ll work closely with local Minds – including through our charity shops – to bring in more support and build local hubs where people can find out about everything Mind offers.
Supporting our work
We can only reach our goals with your help. There's lots of ways you can support Mind.
Your donations will make sure we can keep fighting for the people who need us most.
Learn about all the ways you can fundraise for Mind, from active challenges to bake sales. There's something for everyone.
Our campaigners speak out about the real issues affecting people with mental health problems. Find out how to sign up here.
Our environment strategy
Mind recognises that climate change represents the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. It is therefore vitally important that charities make a clear, positive statement that change is needed, and back this up with meaningful actions. Research conducted in 2023 demonstrated that accessibility of services, ethical fundraising and investing, and reducing our full scope greenhouse gas emissions should all form part of our strategic priorities.
Our ambition is to be net zero by 2050 and our 2024/27 environment strategy is built around 3 core aims: minimising the environmental impact of Mind’s operations, tackling the mental health impact of climate change and optimising the use of Mind’s influence and leadership voice.
We calculated our carbon emissions baseline for 2022/23 at 8,170 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent across both national Mind and our retail operations with the majority arising from our procurement of goods and services, end of life treatment of products from our charity shops, national Mind’s investments and grants, and electricity use across the retail estate. Mind is committed to reducing these emissions and will therefore continue to track our progress against our decarbonisation action plan and recalculate our emissions every two years.
