YoungMinds parents' helpline in funding crisis

The charity, which supports the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people, must raise £500,000 by March 2015 to keep the helpline open, and is asking for donations so that it can continue to help parents, carers and children.

The helpline provides practical advice to more than 10,000 adults a year who are worried about the emotional problems and behaviour of a child or young person.

The NHS allocates 0.7 per cent of its budget to children and young people’s mental health. According to the charity, the parents' helpline - which has been running for 21 years - can put adults in contact with children and young people’s mental health service professionals in less time than it takes to be seen by the NHS.

For the past seven years YoungMinds has received substantial funding from the Department for Education, but the Government has cut this funding. While the charity has always partially relied on donations from the public, this is now its only means of funding the Parents' Helpline.

Celebrity supporters include actors Michelle Collins and Claire Skinner and The Sun’s agony aunt Deirdre Sanders.

Around £175,000 of the amount needed to support the helpline for another year has been raised, but there is still nearly half of the target to go.

The charity has noted an ever-increasing number of calls and emails, and funding permitting, it wants to expand the service to meet this demand.

A survey of 200 families using the helpline earlier this year found that nearly nine in ten parents wanted practical advice about their child’s behaviour and 75 per cent wanted advice about mental health service for their child.

• To make a donation or set up a fundraising event visit: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/donate_parents-helpline