North East creative learning charity secures over £200k funding from Kavli Trust to invest in young people’s mental health and wellbeing

A North East creative learning charity has secured a six-figure investment from the foundation of a multinational brand to support children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing.

Award-winning theatre, drama and creative learning charity Mortal Fools has secured funding of NOK3,000,000 – approximately £215,000 – from Kavli Trust, the foundation arm of the parent company of popular cheese brand, Primula, to develop its high-impact work supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Mortal Fools have developed a range of creative projects as new and pioneering alternative responses to tackling the mounting children’s mental health crisis in the UK, including increasing referrals being made for young people to statutory services and anxiety-based conditions continuing to rise year-on-year.

The funding from Kavli Trust aligns with the growing UK policy recognition of creative health as a vital tool to tackle this challenge, including the establishment of a Creative Health All Party Parliamentary Group last year.

This is the second round of grant funding that Mortal Fools has received from Kavli Trust, who prioritise supporting projects that enhance children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing as part of their global approach to supporting the furtherance of human rights. This ongoing support will enable Mortal Fools to further develop three areas of their work:

MELVA Digital – an award-winning creative digital programme that improves key stage 2 children’s mental health knowledge and practical self-management techniques through multi-media storytelling and has already reached 11,000 young people in 130 educational settings.

This new funding will support the addition of an illustrated novel to the programme for 2025-26 and new resources for key stage 1, its expansion across the Northeast region and using the

programme and its data as a powerful advocacy tool to lobby for policy change and further investment.

The development of their Wellbeing Practice Guide & Evaluation Toolkit into an online digital programme, accessible to users across the UK. The programme is structured to the ratified PERMA™ Framework for Mental Wellbeing and is designed to guide settings working with young people to plan, monitor and measure their work in ways that enhance the wellbeing of participants and generates tangible wellbeing impact data.

This ongoing commitment will also support the furtherance of Mortal Fools’ expertise in the field of Creative Health, with a particular focus on work in co-creation and applied interventions e.g. in schools to support transition and prevent absenteeism.

The funding will also support the development of Mortal Fools’ national profile and reputation as a leader in the field of Creative Health for children and young people.

Kiz Crosbie, Artistic Director and CEO, Mortal Fools, said: “We continue to be deeply grateful for Kavli Trust’s ongoing commitment to our work. The team really take the time to get to know the organisations, the people and the projects they support, and together we can bring about enormously positive outcomes for the children and young people involved. We look forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration with them.”

Ingrid Paasche, General Manager, Kavli Trust, said: “Mortal Fools demonstrates how culture can nurture mental health, wellbeing and lasting opportunities for young people. Kavli Trust is proud to give back to the community where our values are created.”