Beyond Shame, Beyond Stigma
Charity Number: 1179964
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: Part of £322,713 total expenditure (2024)
- Grant Range: Up to £5,000 per grant
- Geographic Focus: UK, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands
- Focus Area: Youth mental health (18 years and under)
- Application Method: Online portal
Contact Details
- Website: www.wearebeyond.org.uk
- Email: info@wearebeyond.org.uk
- Phone: 07801740080
- Grant Applications: wearebeyond.org.uk/the-beyond-grant
- Registered Address: Sobell Rhodes LLP, The Kinetic Centre, Theobald Street, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 4PJ
Overview
Beyond Shame, Beyond Stigma (trading as “Beyond”) was founded in 2018 by mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin MBE following his own experiences with mental health challenges as a young person. At age 20, Jonny was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and he established Beyond to give others access to the early and personalised interventions he lacked during his youth.
The charity operates as a youth mental health organisation tackling what they describe as “the growing mental health crisis affecting young people in the UK.” Beyond uses its expertise and resources to help those working with young people access barrier-free mental health education and effective support services. The organisation is led by CEO Louisa Rose alongside founder Jonny Benjamin MBE, with strategic direction provided by a volunteer Youth Board composed of young people with lived experience of mental health challenges.
The charity's 2024 financial year showed income of £251,478 and expenditure of £322,713. Beyond delivers impact through three main pillars: The Beyond Grant programme, their annual mental health festival “Now and Beyond,” and a youth mental health directory containing over 300 vetted services.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The Beyond Grant: Up to £5,000
- Awards to not-for-profit organisations and registered charities delivering specialist mental health services
- Target beneficiaries: Young people aged 18 and under, their families, and educators
- Focus on “ground-breaking mental health and well-being initiatives”
- Projects must launch within 6 months of receiving funds
- Application via online portal
Priority Areas
- Direct mental health interventions for young people
- Training and professional development for staff working with young people
- School-based mental health initiatives
- Trauma-informed approaches
- Therapeutic support (counselling, dramatherapy, animal-assisted therapy, CBT)
- Peer mental health support programmes (Youth Mental Health First Aid)
- Initiatives addressing anxiety, depression, self-harm, and bereavement
What They Don't Fund
- Bursaries
- Event costs (venue hire, refreshments, materials, transport, speaker fees)
- Sponsorships of any kind
- Large-scale health-related research projects
- Scholarship requests
- Projects that have already taken place
- Capital building projects (refurbishment, equipment purchase, land acquisition) - unless fundamental to achieving charitable objectives
- Organisations where the majority of activities focus on lobbying
- Government entities, political subdivisions, or state instrumentalities
- Religious organisations promoting their faith exclusively
- Individuals, for-profit entities, or professional organisations
- Organisations that discriminate based on age, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, marital status, or disability
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Governance and Leadership
Founder
Jonny Benjamin MBE - Mental health campaigner, author, and filmmaker who founded Beyond in 2018. Co-founder of workplace conference This Can Happen (2017) and social enterprise Speaker's Collective (2018). Author of three books including “The Stranger on the Bridge” (being adapted for West End) and “The Book of Hope” (2022).
Chief Executive Officer
Louisa Rose - Award-winning CEO leading Beyond's ecosystem that tackles youth mental health from prevention to intervention.
Board of Trustees (as of 2024-2025)
- Maria Barquin Arce (appointed December 2025)
- Kogulan Yogaretnam (appointed February 2025)
- Angharad Morgan (appointed August 2024)
- Jeremy Bruce Lyons (appointed June 2024)
- Julia Claire Clarfield (appointed January 2024)
Youth Board
A volunteer group of youth mental health activists united by personal lived experience who serve as "the charity's heart and soul — the idea generators, campaign drivers and future changemakers."
Staffing
- 5 Trustees
- 20 Volunteers
- No trustees receive remuneration
- No employees with benefits exceeding £60,000
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
- Recent signed annual accounts
- Governing documents including charitable dissolution clause
- Personal details of organisation's directors and financial controllers
- Certificate of registration as a nonprofit organisation
- Proof of bank details
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be a registered charity with the Charity Commission
- Deliver mental health initiatives for young people aged 18 and under
- Operate in the UK, Isle of Man, or Channel Islands
- Demonstrate lack of funding
- Have organisational infrastructure to effectively use awarded funds
- Request funds for critical project needs
Projects must:
- Directly improve young people's mental health in line with Beyond's mission
- Be “ground-breaking” mental health and wellbeing initiatives
- Launch within 6 months of receiving funding
Decision Timeline
Specific decision timelines are not publicly documented. The application process involves verification checks following submission.
Funding Source
The Beyond Grant is funded through Beyond's independent fundraising activities including marathon and challenge fundraising, ticketed events, and individual donations specifying the Beyond Grant. Restricted funding from grants, charitable trusts, and Crowdfunder does not contribute to The Beyond Grant.
Application Success Factors
What Beyond Looks For
Based on their funded projects, successful applications demonstrate:
- Clear evidence of need: Schools or organisations showing data on rising mental health issues (self-harm, anxiety, depression)
- Direct impact on young people: Interventions that will measurably improve mental health outcomes
- Professional delivery: Qualified practitioners or staff training programmes
- Sustainable approaches: Training staff creates lasting capacity (e.g., funding Diplomas in Trauma and Mental Health-Informed Schools)
- Innovative solutions: “Ground-breaking” approaches that address gaps in provision
Examples of Successfully Funded Projects
- Leicester SEMH Secondary School: Funded two staff members to obtain Diplomas in Trauma and Mental Health-Informed Schools and Communities
- North London School: Funded a school counsellor following a bereavement
- Essex Primary School: Animal-assisted therapy for eight children with post-lockdown anxiety
- Solihull School: Additional counsellor funding to reduce waiting lists
- East London School: Dramatherapy for students experiencing trauma and domestic violence
- Merseyside School: CBT specialist therapist for children with pandemic-related traumatic bereavements
- West London Secondary School: Youth Mental Health First Aid training for peer support
Impact Evidence Beyond Values
Beyond monitors and evaluates impact through data from:
- Service providers
- School staff feedback
- Direct feedback from young people benefiting from interventions
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- Focus on young people aged 18 and under - This is non-negotiable; the charity exists specifically to serve this demographic
- Demonstrate a clear gap in mental health provision - Show evidence that your target group lacks access to appropriate support
- Emphasise direct intervention over infrastructure - Capital projects are generally excluded; focus on therapeutic services and training
- Consider staff training as a fundable outcome - Several successful grants have funded professional development that creates lasting capacity
- Align with their “beyond surviving” philosophy - Beyond wants to help young people thrive, not just cope
- Be specific about your initiative's innovation - They seek “ground-breaking” approaches, not replication of standard services
- Plan for delivery within 6 months - Your project must launch within this timeframe of receiving funding
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References
- Beyond Official Website: wearebeyond.org.uk
- The Beyond Grant Programme: wearebeyond.org.uk/the-beyond-grant
- Beyond Impact and Case Studies: wearebeyond.org.uk/about/who-we-help
- Charity Commission Register: register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1179964
- Beyond About Us: wearebeyond.org.uk/about-us
- Now and Beyond Festival: nowandbeyond.org.uk
- Jonny Benjamin Official Website: jonnybenjamin.co.uk
- Baton of Hope - Jonny Benjamin Profile: batonofhopeuk.org/jonny-benjamin
Information compiled December 2025