Working together to support children’s mental health
The Principle Trust Children’s Charity provides free, week-long respite breaks for children and families across Yorkshire who are facing some of life’s toughest challenges, including mental health difficulties, trauma, disability, serious illness and financial hardship. Through its family-friendly holiday homes in Blackpool, Filey and the Lake District, the charity gives families the opportunity to step away from the pressures of everyday life, spend precious time together and create positive memories.
In winter 2025, The Principle Trust made the strategic decision to place a greater emphasis on supporting children experiencing mental health challenges, reflecting growing concerns around children’s emotional wellbeing. The charity recognises that mental health difficulties rarely affect a child in isolation and can place considerable pressure on parents, carers and family relationships too.
A respite break is not a replacement for specialist mental health support. However, time away from daily pressures can play a valuable complementary role, giving families opportunities to rest, reconnect and enjoy positive experiences together.
Partnerships with organisations such as Bradford District and Craven Mind (BDC Mind) are an important part of this approach. By combining BDC Mind’s mental health expertise and ongoing support with The Principle Trust’s family-focused respite provision, the charities can respond to the wider needs of children and their families.
Kerry Magson, Head of Partnerships, Service Delivery and Engagement at The Principle Trust Children’s Charity, said:
“Children’s mental health is something we feel passionately about, and we know that behind every child who is struggling there is often a family doing their very best to navigate difficult circumstances.
“We know a holiday won’t fix everything, and we would never suggest that a week away replaces the specialist support a child or family may need. But we believe that, alongside that support, respite can offer something incredibly valuable: time, space and permission to pause.
“When families are under constant pressure, it can be difficult to switch off, relax and enjoy being together. A break can give parents and carers some breathing space and allow children to experience fun, freedom and positive moments away from the things they may be struggling with.
“That’s why working with BDC Mind is so important to us. They bring specialist knowledge and experience in supporting mental health, while we can offer families the opportunity to step away from everyday pressures and reconnect in a different environment.
“We believe charities are stronger when they work together. By sharing our expertise, strengthening referral pathways and recognising what each organisation can offer, we have a greater opportunity to reach children who need support and make a meaningful difference.”
The partnership in action
Myriam Barker, Head of Income Generation at BDC Mind, said:
“BDC Mind warmly welcomed the opportunity to work with The Principle Trust. We value partnership working because it allows organisations to bring together their different strengths, expertise and resources to make a greater difference to the children, young people and families we support.
The opportunity offered by The Principle Trust was hugely valuable, but it also highlighted another challenge facing some of the families we support. We found that families who would have greatly benefited from a break were having to consider turning it down because they could not afford the additional costs of travel, food and suitable clothing, even though their accommodation was free.
We didn’t want finances to stand in the way of families accessing such a valuable opportunity, so we approached the Harry and Mary Foundation. Their generous £5,000 grant helped ease these additional costs and enabled families to take up the offer and experience the benefits of precious time away together.”
Together, the three organisations were able to provide different but connected forms of support: BDC Mind supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, The Principle Trust providing the respite break, and The Harry and Mary Foundation helping to reduce the financial barriers to accessing it.
The difference a break can make
The impact of this partnership is best demonstrated through the experiences of the families themselves.
One parent described the difference the holiday made to her and her daughter, Sabrina:
“The holiday had such a positive impact on both me and Sabrina. It gave us the chance to get away from everyday pressures, relax, spend quality time together, and create memories that we’ll never forget.”
During the break, mum noticed positive changes in Sabrina’s eating and sleeping habits. Having the freedom to get outdoors and take part in different activities gave Sabrina opportunities to be active and have fun, while her mum was able to enjoy some much-needed downtime.
They shared experiences including arts and crafts, bracelet making and swimming. Swimming was particularly significant for mum, who had not been in a pool since childhood
because of her fear of swimming. Being away gave her the confidence to get into the water with Sabrina and share the experience with her.
Sabrina initially found the evening entertainment overwhelming because of the noise. However, once she had ear defenders, she was able to join in, dance and enjoy herself, while her mum had the opportunity to relax and properly switch off.
The positive impact continued after the holiday. Sabrina regularly asked if they could return to Blackpool, while her mum felt the uninterrupted time together had strengthened their relationship even further.
She reflected:
“Before we went away, I didn’t think our bond could get any stronger, but spending that uninterrupted time together brought us even closer. We shared experiences, made memories, and enjoyed a sense of freedom and relaxation that neither of us had experienced before.”
She added:
“I can’t put into words how grateful we are to Principle Trust for giving us this opportunity. The kindness and generosity shown to our family has had a lasting impact on us both. The memories we made together will stay with us forever.”
For BDC Mind, this captures the real value of partnership working: bringing organisations together to remove barriers and create opportunities that can make a meaningful difference to children and their families. For this family, that meant precious time away from everyday pressures to relax, reconnect and create memories together.
How to get support for my family
If your child or young person is struggling with their mental health, or you are worried about their emotional wellbeing, support is available. Bradford District and Craven Mind provides mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people and can help you understand what support may be right for your family.
Find out more: Children and Young People’s Services
Contact: 01274 730815 | admin@mindinbradford.org.uk
Families interested in finding out more about respite breaks and the support available through The Principle Trust Children’s Charity can visit the charity’s website or contact the team directly.
Find out more: The Principle Trust Children’s Charity
Contact: 0845 359 2833 | info@theprincipletrust.co.uk