Charities unite to launch Children’s Mental Health Week and champion the power of belonging

To launch Children's Mental Health Week 2026, 15 organisations have joined forces to celebrate the role of communities in helping children to thrive.

Place2Be is shining a spotlight on the important impact of belonging on children’s mental health for this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week with the theme ‘This Is My Place’.

A new video to launch the week

In a powerful show of connection, 15 leading charities and organisations have all joined forces in a new montage film celebrating the role of supportive communities in helping children and young people thrive.

Special thanks to the 15 charities and organisations who got involved:

• The Scouts
• BAFTA
• Centrepoint
• British Sub Aqua Club
• The Royal Marsden Hospital
• National Portrait Gallery
• Football Beyond Borders
• Book Trust
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Royal Horticultural Society
• The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood
• Lang Lang
• Young Voices
• Diana Awards

What's the importance of belonging?

Recent government data highlights the critical importance of belonging for young people. Secondary pupils who reported feeling a sense of belonging “most” or “every day” also reported higher motivation to learn and better school attendance. However, the findings reveal a worrying increase in loneliness among older pupils in years 7 to 11 responding they feel lonely some of the time or often (56%), while a large majority of pupils in years 12 and 13 (68%) said the same.

Families are under strain. Services are stretched thin. Modern life is fast, distracted and demanding. Third sector organisations work every day to create safe, inclusive spaces where children and young people can truly be themselves, but they too are under enormous resource pressures at the very moment communities need them most.

Place2Be emphasises that belonging – whether in friendships, schools, families or wider communities – is foundational. It influences confidence, resilience, physical and mental health, academic success, and future opportunities.

This year, Children’s Mental Health Week is encouraging families, schools, and community groups to create nurturing, inclusive environments where all children and young people feel seen, heard and accepted.