The Reanella Trust
Targeting mental health support to under-served Black communities.
The Reanella Trust launched during the pandemic as an online support group for young people, to help tackle isolation during lockdown. However, as Project Manager Katy Cooper explains, “We were so inundated with requests for support during that time that we applied for official registration with the Charity Commission in 2021. We thought, ‘We can’t just leave these young people without support.’ We chose the name Reanella because that was the name of our founder’s best friend. She lost her life to suicide in 2002 due to unsupported mental illness.”
The charity now runs targeted projects lasting six to eight weeks for children and young people aged between eight and 25. Each cohort of 30–40 people is able to access online group workshops and one-to-one support, delivered by a qualified, accredited psychologist. They can also take part in face-to-face activities, such as cookery and sport.
The impact of these Resilience Recovery Relief projects can be transformative, as one service user, Ginger, explains:
“Resilience Recovery Relief has given me the tools and encouragement I have desperately needed to overcome the negative thought patterns that held me back for so long. The inclusive environment provided by the project has allowed me to heal from the physical abuse I endured as a child. I’m now in a positive headspace to pursue education and start looking towards my future. I can’t thank the project and staff enough for helping me rediscover my worth and potential.”
R. Demetrius, one of The Reanella Trust’s clinical psychologists, adds, “I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations in the young individuals I’ve worked with through this project. The one-to-one therapy provided a safe space for them to heal, grow, and develop essential coping strategies.”
Three of the projects, offering around 120 places in total, have been funded with grants from Hammersmith United Charities.
Focusing support on under-served communities
The Trust has narrowed its focus over the last few years and now primarily works with two target groups:
- Black and disabled children and young people
- Black children and young people who have bipolar
Katy explains, “We’re quite a small organisation and wanted to focus on addressing a need that wasn’t being otherwise supported. We’ve developed relationships with these particular communities and demographics and people keep coming back to us for support. So, we kind of allowed the communities to direct and inform how we supported them.”
Black-led support
The Reanella Trust is a Black-led organisation and mainly focuses on providing support to Black children and young people. Katy explains, “While there’s been a very positive shift in understanding cultural differences, nobody can understand those nuances more than somebody with that lived experience. So that’s what we’re trying to inculcate into our provision.
“Black people, as a whole, don’t tend to gravitate towards traditional methods of mental health support. Back in the 60s and 70s, a lot of Black people with mental health difficulties were sectioned; a huge proportion of that demographic, who could have had support in the community, were basically written off. So, there’s historic mistrust and apprehension about the intentions of some supportive industries. There’s also a ‘stiff-upper-lip’ attitude; Black people don’t always believe that mental illness needs supporting.
“We’re trying to shift that perspective. As we’re a Black-led organisation, parents are maybe more open to us coming into their families and saying, ‘We can help you. Your children can benefit from external support.’ We’re able to immerse ourselves into these families in a way that other organisations may not be able to.”
Meeting an intermediate need
The majority of The Reanella Trust’s service users are on the waiting list for support from CAMHS (children and adolescents mental health services). However, as Katy says, “Some of these young people have been on the waiting list for over a year. We’ve lost service users to suicide in that time and self-harm is escalating. We’re just trying to provide intermediate support whilst they’re waiting for CAMHS.”
R. Demetrius adds, “We are all aware of the limitations of NHS services and the long waiting lists make it nearly impossible for young people who are struggling to receive timely help. The work The Reanella Trust is conducting is so important and the team works hard to help all of the young people who enrol.”
Supporting families
Katy says, “Often parents are unintentionally overlooked by mental health services, but the severe challenges experienced by young people have repercussions on siblings and parents. So, we provide a holistic and wraparound supportive service for the whole family.”
The trust’s aim is to ensure that parents and carers have the tools to support their young people after the project has finished.
The foster parent of one service user shares, “I have seen firsthand the positive effect that this project has had on our family dynamics and home life. The support and resources provided have not only improved J’s mental well-being but have also strengthened our family bond. We now have a better understanding of their needs and J is more capable of letting us know what she is feeling, and the tools she has gained have helped create a more supportive and nurturing environment for everyone.”
Offering ongoing support
The Trust’s support doesn’t stop completely at the end of a project. Many of the children and young people will return in a subsequent cohort. Katy shares, “We keep in contact with them between projects. Our plan is to train previous service users to support other young people. Whilst that helps our new cohorts, it also gives those previous service users a sense of purpose and keeps them engaged.”
Mental Health Awareness Week
12 to 18 May 2025 is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is ‘Community’. Katy says, “Awareness weeks like this are very important, as long as they reach a broad demographic of people.
“They can help people who are struggling with mental illness to know that they’re not alone – that there are other people in a similar situation. It also raises awareness amongst people who might be unaware of what mental health challenges actually look like on a day-to-day basis, and how people can be supported.”
Find out more
The Reanella Trust relies on grants and donations to fund its work, and many of its team members are volunteers. If you’d like to find out more, please visit: www.reanellatrust.org
If you or your child are awaiting a CAMHS referral, the following charities may also be able to offer support:
Guy is a retired solicitor who has lived in Hammersmith for over 40 years. As well as having a long legal career, Guy has decades of experience in the not-for-profit sector. He was a school governor for 35 years and spent several years volunteering as Chair of the Finance Committee at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre. If you recognise Guy, that’s probably because he also served as a local councillor for Hammersmith & Fulham.
“We recently represented a migrant woman who was trafficked to the UK by a wealthy family. She was forced to work extremely long hours as a nanny, housekeeper and cleaner. She didn’t receive anywhere near the minimum wage, and the family had control of her passport and bank account.”
Everyone at Hammersmith United Charities would like to thank Vivienne Lukey as she steps down after 12 years as a trustee, including six years as Chair.