Our Time is a charity that helps young people whose parents have a mental illness by increasing their resilience.

When a parent suffers from mental illness it is rare for anyone – parent, teacher, or even social worker – to know how to discuss the illness with the child. The children are often confused and frightened. They may be bullied at school if they reveal their ‘secret’, and commonly fear they will ‘catch’ their parent’s illness. In excess of 3.7 million young people (Children’s Commissioner, 2018) are affected by this issue. At present most receive no support. Our Time provides interventions for families and in schools to support these young people to ensure they get the right help early on and prevent them from becoming patients themselves.

Research confirms what young people consistently say they need:

• An explanation of their parents’ illness and an opportunity to talk about their concerns
• Help to understand that they are not alone
• The ear of a neutral adult to listen and provide them with support

Our Time provides this support through our workshops and in-schools work. Without funding, services like ours would not exist and these children will remain hidden and unsupported. We’re working to change this.