Health & Wellbeing
The Vintners’ Foundation supports charities that promote mental health, emotional resilience and life skills, particularly for young people and those facing social or economic challenges. Our grants aim to prevent isolation, disengagement, and poor wellbeing, while offering practical support and life-changing opportunities.
Recent grants in this area include CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) and Strength and Learning Through Horses (SLTH).
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Preventing suicide and saving lives
CALM is a UK mental health and suicide prevention charity, providing life-saving support for anyone struggling or in crisis.
Every three minutes, someone in the UK attempts suicide (≈200,000 attempts per year)
Every 90 minutes, someone dies by suicide (≈6,500 lives lost per year)
Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people, with 1 in 14 young people having attempted suicide by age 17
Young women aged 10–24 have experienced the highest recorded rise in suicide rates
What we fund
Following an initial grant, CALM became a Favoured Charity, supported by the Vintners’ Foundation to maintain its helpline service, available 365 days a year from 5pm–midnight via phone, webchat, and WhatsApp.
Recent innovations include queue management technology, which:
Lets users see their position and estimated wait time
Offers self-help techniques such as meditation and journaling while waiting
Provides signposting to online self-help resources and other services
35% of users find help through self-service before speaking to a helpline worker, allowing CALM to focus on those in greatest need
CALM’s life-saving support ensures that help is available when it matters most, preventing crises from escalating and saving lives.
Strength and Learning Through Horses (SLTH)
Therapy, life skills and alternative education through horses
SLTH provides therapy and alternative education programmes for young people aged 4–25 who are struggling with social, emotional or learning challenges, are excluded from mainstream education, or are at risk of exclusion. Many participants come from low-income households and deprived areas of London, with low confidence and aspirations.
What we fund
The Vintners’ Foundation supported SLTH’s 12-week Alternative Education Programme, where 12 young participants aged 11–12 learned to care for and train horses. Weekly three-hour sessions included grooming, exercising, mucking out stables, and managing horse health.
Key outcomes:
Improved mental health and wellbeing
Enhanced teamwork, leadership and confidence
Achievement of Prince’s Trust Employability Skills QCF accreditation
Multiple AQA unit awards and personal references for future education or employment