About The Life Matters
The Life Matters is a registered children’s suicide prevention and self-harm support charity (Charity No. 1193469), dedicated to improving the emotional wellbeing, safety and resilience of children and young people.
We support children and young people experiencing emotional distress, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, while working alongside families, schools and professionals to promote earlier recognition, appropriate support and safer pathways to help.
Our work is centred on a simple belief: every child deserves to feel safe, heard, valued and supported.
Why We Exist
Self-harm and suicidal thoughts can have a profound impact on children, young people, families and communities. Too often, children struggle in silence or do not know how to communicate what they are experiencing or where to turn for help.
The Life Matters exists to help change this.
We focus on prevention and early intervention, helping children and the adults around them recognise concerns earlier, develop emotional literacy, understand self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and access appropriate support before difficulties escalate.
Our Purpose
Our charitable purpose is to contribute to the prevention of suicide and self-harm among children and young people through education, early intervention, support, awareness and partnership working.
We work to:
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promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing;
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increase understanding of self-harm and suicide among children, families and professionals;
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provide targeted early intervention for children and young people who may be experiencing emotional distress;
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equip schools and professionals with practical knowledge, resources and training;
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empower young people to understand their mental health and encourage them to seek appropriate help;
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reduce stigma and create environments where children feel able to speak openly about how they are feeling; and
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strengthen the wider network of support around children and young people.
What We Do
Targeted 1:1 Support
We provide structured one-to-one early intervention support for children and young people who may be experiencing emotional distress, self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
Our programmes help children develop emotional awareness, coping strategies, resilience and confidence, while encouraging appropriate help-seeking and strengthening their support networks.
The Life Matters is not a crisis or emergency service. Where a child or young person requires urgent or specialist intervention, we work within appropriate safeguarding procedures and support referral or signposting to relevant statutory or specialist services.
Training for Schools and Professionals
We provide practical training designed to increase confidence in recognising and responding appropriately to concerns relating to children’s mental health, self-harm and suicide prevention.
Our training includes:
Targeted Intervention Training
Supporting schools and professionals to understand structured approaches for working with children who may require additional support.
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Training
Helping professionals recognise concerns relating to self-harm and suicidal thoughts and understand appropriate safeguarding responses, escalation and referral pathways.
Mental Health Ambassador Programme
We work with schools across different counties to train young people as Mental Health Ambassadors. Young Ambassadors receive training, resources and clear safeguarding guidance, empowering them to help promote positive conversations about mental health among their peers and encourage others to seek support from trusted adults.
Young Ambassadors are not counsellors, therapists or crisis workers. Their role is to promote awareness, reduce stigma, listen appropriately within their training and help their peers connect with trusted adults and appropriate support.
Whole-School Approach
Our whole-school programmes provide schools with structured resources that can be incorporated into PSHE and wider school wellbeing provision.
Our 10-week PSHE programme focuses on areas including:
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emotional literacy;
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understanding emotions;
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resilience and coping strategies;
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self-harm awareness;
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suicide prevention and awareness;
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recognising when someone may need help;
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healthy relationships and communication;
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reducing stigma; and
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developing a culture where children feel safe to speak up.
By combining early intervention, education, professional training and whole-school approaches, we aim to help create safer and more supportive environments for children and young people.
Our Safeguarding Commitment
Safeguarding is central to everything we do.
All of our work involving children and young people is delivered within appropriate safeguarding procedures and in partnership with the relevant professionals and organisations responsible for their welfare.
We recognise that supporting children experiencing self-harm or suicidal thoughts requires clear boundaries, appropriate escalation and effective information sharing. Our programmes are designed to complement—not replace—statutory safeguarding, health, social care or emergency services.
We are committed to maintaining appropriate safeguarding policies, procedures, training and oversight across our charitable activities.
Who We Support
Our work supports:
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Children and young people
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Parents and families
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Schools and academies
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Teachers and pastoral staff
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Designated Safeguarding Leads
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Education and childcare professionals
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Community organisations
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Professionals working with children and young people
We recognise that supporting a child effectively often requires the adults and organisations around them to have the knowledge, confidence and resources to respond appropriately.
Where We Work
The Life Matters is developing relationships with schools, professionals and organisations across different counties in England, working collaboratively to strengthen local approaches to children’s mental health, self-harm awareness and suicide prevention.
Our aim is to develop sustainable partnerships that allow good practice, education and early intervention to reach more children and young people.
Our Governance
The Life Matters is a registered charity in England and Wales, Charity No. 1193469.
We are committed to operating with appropriate governance, accountability, safeguarding and financial oversight and to ensuring that our charitable activities are undertaken in accordance with our charitable purposes and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Our Commitment
At The Life Matters, we believe that early intervention can make a difference.
Every child should have someone who listens, an environment where they feel safe to speak, and access to appropriate support when they need it.
We are committed to helping build communities where children and young people understand their mental health, know how to ask for help, and feel that their lives have value and a future.
No child should feel that they have to face their pain alone.
Our Founder & Chief Executive Officer – Mary Brockwell
The Life Matters was founded in 2021 by Mary Brockwell, following a promise she made to her brother, who died by suicide 25 years ago. For many years, Mary carried a personal commitment to turn the experience of losing her brother into something meaningful that could help other children, young people and families. In 2021, that long-held commitment became The Life Matters.
Mary’s understanding of childhood adversity is also shaped by her own life experiences. Having experienced adverse childhood experiences, she left school at the age of 13 and entered full-time employment. These early experiences gave Mary a first-hand understanding of how circumstances during childhood can affect a young person’s confidence, opportunities, emotional wellbeing and ability to communicate when they are struggling.
As a neurodivergent person, Mary also understands that children and young people do not all learn, communicate, process emotions or experience the world in the same way. This has contributed to her belief that children should be listened to as individuals, their experiences taken seriously, and support provided in ways that recognise their individual needs.
Mary has spent many years developing her knowledge, experience and understanding of the challenges faced by children, young people and families. Her lived experience has been an important influence on her approach, particularly her belief in the importance of early intervention, listening without judgement, reducing stigma and helping people find the confidence to ask for support.
Mary is also the author of Angel Whispers: When Two Worlds Collide, a self-help book written for people who may be experiencing difficult life experiences, emotional challenges or feelings of being misunderstood or alone. Through her writing, Mary sought to give people words and understanding for experiences that can sometimes be difficult to explain, while encouraging hope and the belief that circumstances do not have to define a person's future.
The experiences that shaped Mary’s life also contributed to the development of A Child’s Voice®, a programme designed to help children and young people understand their emotions, recognise when they may be struggling and develop the confidence to communicate and seek appropriate help.
What began as a personal promise to her brother has developed into a wider charitable commitment to helping children and young people understand that their lives matter. Through The Life Matters, Mary’s aim is to help create environments where children feel safe to speak, adults feel better equipped to respond, and young people know that asking for help is a strength rather than a weakness.
Today, The Life Matters works with children and young people, families, schools and professionals, providing education, early intervention, training, resources and suicide prevention and self-harm support. While Mary's lived experience forms an important part of the charity's history, The Life Matters has grown beyond one person's story and is focused on creating lasting, positive change for children and young people.
“Every child deserves to be heard, understood and given the opportunity to believe that their future matters.”
Mary Brockwell – Founder, Author, and Advocate
In recognition of her contributions, Mary was a 2026 finalist for the Pride in Medway Awards and has been featured on BBC RADIO Kent for her impactful work in the community.
