Liverpool ONE Foundation celebrates £3m grant milestone  

The Liverpool ONE Foundation, which invests and supports young people’s mental health across the Liverpool City Region, is marking a huge milestone with a total £3 million being donated to local organisations since its inception. 

Investing in projects that are dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing, the Liverpool ONE Foundation has so far supported almost half a million young people through more than 400 grants during the last 14 years. 

The milestone comes as Liverpool ONE kicks off its 15th anniversary celebrations, as the retail and leisure destination looks back on the highlights since its arrival at the heart of the city centre. 

As part of the Liverpool ONE Foundation’s vital work, it awards grants to youth groups and organisations across Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. 

From projects running mindfulness and yoga sessions to those supporting children through bereavement, the Foundation has worked with a total of 314 groups, each one dedicated to improving local young people’s wellbeing. 

And following the pandemic and its impact of youth mental health, this year the Liverpool ONE Foundation has awarded grants to specifically fund mental health champions at organisations across the region. 

Among those receiving a donation is Brunswick Youth and Community Centre in Bootle, which has worked closely with the Foundation for around 13 years.  

Keith Lloyd, centre manager at Brunswick Youth and Community Centre said:

“We identified that mental health issues for young people was their major concern.   

“With the help of Liverpool ONE Foundation, we were able to employ a part-time mental health worker, who is their “go-to” person.  

“Already, she has helped and signposted a number of young people who would have likely fell through the net if it wasn’t for this new intervention.   

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Liverpool ONE for having the vision to invest in young people’s mental wellbeing and for their support with many other projects which have benefited our community.” 

Managed by the Community Foundation for Merseyside (CFM) The Foundation was set up in 2009, just one year after the first phase of the shopping destination opened. 

Since its launch, the Foundation has shifted its focus so that it awards grants that specifically benefit future generations’ mental health and more recently to directly fund mental health champions at local youth clubs and community centres, a change that came in response to what local people needed, according to CFM chief executive Rae Brooke. 

Rae said:

“As a result of our research and community engagement the Liverpool ONE Foundation responded on a significant scale to the mental wellbeing needs of children and young people across the Liverpool City Region.  

“The subsequent impact has been immense, and we are delighted that Liverpool ONE continues to be our largest corporate donor with a continued commitment to the future needs of the community.” 

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said:

“We are incredibly proud of the Liverpool ONE Foundation reaching £3 million of grants distributed across local groups. Helping and supporting young people’s mental health is at the heart of our commitment to local communities. 

“To be able mark this in our 15^th year is fantastic and highlights the vital work that so many organisations are doing right across the Liverpool City Region to help improve young people’s lives. 

“We’re looking forward to building on our work with the Liverpool ONE Foundation and continuing to support those who need our funding to enhance the mental health of our future generations.” 

For more info on Liverpool ONE click here.