About The Life Matters
Who we are
The Life Matters Charity is dedicated to supporting children and young people through early intervention, emotional wellbeing education, and suicide and self-harm prevention.
The charity delivers the licensed A Child’s Voice Model, including a 10‑week self-harm and suicide prevention programme provided on a 1‑to‑1 basis for children and young people. The programme is delivered directly by the charity’s trained team, offering personalised support, guidance, and coping strategies within a safe and trusted environment.
Alongside direct intervention, The Life Matters Charity provides a whole‑school approach through ready‑made 10‑week PSHE programmes and lesson resources that teachers can download and deliver in schools. These resources are designed to promote emotional wellbeing, resilience, mental health awareness, and early intervention across all year groups.
The charity also delivers a range of specialist training courses for schools and professionals, including:
- 1‑day A Child’s Voice Model training for school staff and professionals, enabling them to deliver the programme within educational or professional settings.
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training, a 1‑day course equivalent to Level 3 safeguarding training.
- Young People Ambassador Training, empowering children and young people to become positive peer ambassadors who promote wellbeing, inclusion, and emotional support within their schools and communities.
The Life Matters Charity currently delivers services through an existing government contract and is seeking to expand through commissioned charity services. The charity is exploring partnerships with schools, local authorities, NHS services, and other organisations to commission the 10‑week A Child’s Voice programme and increase access to early intervention and suicide prevention support for children and young people.
The licensed A Child’s Voice Model provides a structured and evidence‑informed framework that helps children and young people build emotional resilience, improve communication, reduce risk, and strengthen
Our story
The charity was founded in response to the growing number of children experiencing self‑harm and emotional distress. Too many young people wait months or years for specialist support. We created A Child’s Voice® to bridge that gap — offering structured, compassionate help at the moment it’s needed most.
Our mission
- To reduce self‑harm and suicidal thoughts in children
- To provide early, accessible support before crisis point
- To empower families, schools and communities
- To ensure no child feels alone with their feelings
Our values
- Child‑centred — every child’s voice matters
- Trauma‑informed — safety and trust come first
- Evidence‑based— our work is grounded in research
- Collaborative— we work alongside families and schools
Founder’s Story: Mary Brockwell
The Life Matters was born from a place of profound loss, deep compassion, and an unwavering determination
to protect children and families from the pain that founder Mary Brockwell knows all too well.
Mary’s journey into suicide-prevention work began with the tragic death of her brother, Lee, who died by
suicide at just 25 years old. His loss reshaped her life and exposed the devastating consequences of missed
signs, delayed support, and the silence that so often surrounds emotional distress. For Mary, this was not
simply a family tragedy — it became a turning point that ignited a lifelong commitment to ensuring that no
child, young person, or family would face such suffering alone.
Guided by this lived experience, Mary dedicated herself to understanding the gaps in early intervention,
the barriers families encounter, and the urgent need for practical, structured support long before a child
reaches crisis point. Over years of working with children, young people, and safeguarding professionals,
she saw the same patterns repeat: children struggling in silence, families desperate for help, and services
overwhelmed or unable to respond early enough.
Mary founded The Life Matters to change that reality. Her vision was clear from the beginning:
to create a charity that listens to children, acts early, and provides meaningful, evidence-informed support
that prevents self-harm and suicide before they escalate. She believed that children’s voices — often
overlooked, minimised, or misunderstood — must be placed at the centre of intervention. That belief became
the foundation of A Child’s Voice®, the charity’s flagship 10-week programme.
Co-designed with children and young people, the programme reflects Mary’s conviction that early intervention
must be practical, structured, trauma-informed, and rooted in both clinical insight and frontline safeguarding
experience. Under her leadership, the charity developed a model that is now recognised locally and nationally,
achieving a significant reduction in self-harm and suicidal thoughts among participating children, with no
suicide attempts recorded during programme delivery.
Mary’s work has always been driven by a blend of professional expertise and personal truth. She understands
the emotional landscape of families navigating fear, uncertainty, and crisis. She knows the urgency of early
support and recognises the transformative power of giving a child the tools, language, and confidence to
express their distress safely.
Through The Life Matters, Mary has built more than a charity — she has built a movement for early intervention,
safeguarding, and hope. Her leadership has shaped partnerships with schools, safeguarding networks, statutory
services, and communities across the UK. Her vision continues to guide the organisation as it expands
nationally, helping ensure that every child, wherever they live, has access to the support they need before
it is too late.
Mary’s story is one of courage, purpose, and love: the story of a sister who turned heartbreak into action,
and of a founder who believes that every child deserves to be heard, protected, and supported to heal and
thrive. It is because of her — and because of Lee — that The Life Matters exists today.
The Team
The strength and sustainability of our charity rest on the professionalism and commitment of the people who support and govern our work. I am pleased to recognise the contribution of our volunteers, the young people involved in administrative and operational roles, our Board of Trustees, and the self‑employed facilitators who deliver our services.
Each group plays a vital part in ensuring the organisation operates effectively and in line with its charitable objectives. Together, they uphold high standards of governance, accountability, and impact. I extend my sincere thanks to everyone who contributes their time, knowledge, and skills in support of our mission.
Kelly provides strategic leadership for all marketing activity supporting children’s self‑harm and suicide‑prevention initiatives. She sets direction, priorities, and standards for high‑quality, trauma‑informed materials and oversees social‑media strategy to ensure safe, appropriate awareness‑raising. She leads the marketing team with clear objectives, supervision, and support, ensuring timely and sensitive delivery. Kelly also oversees campaign planning, audience targeting, and message consistency, ensuring strong governance, safeguarding alignment, and effective engagement across all channels.
Vicky brings a strong professional background in healthcare and extensive experience supporting children and families. She is deeply committed to early intervention and to ensuring that children’s needs are recognised and responded to effectively. In her role, she applies a calm, practical, and structured approach, helping the organisation deliver safe, high‑quality services that make a meaningful and lasting difference to the lives of children and families.
Roma is an experienced finance professional who brings strong expertise in financial management and governance to The Life Matters. She ensures the charity’s finances are managed with accuracy, transparency, and efficiency, enabling the organisation to support more children and families. With skills in budgeting, financial oversight, and governance, Roma plays a key role in safeguarding resources. Her commitment ensures the charity operates responsibly and effectively, maximising the impact of every donation and supporting sustainable growth.
Sponsors
The Life Matters relies on donations in order to operate our service.
We would like to thank all personal donations and the kind sponsorship of some local companies.
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