Welcome to the last Molly Rose Foundation Newsletter – of 2024 – and what a year it has been!
Our team has expanded and we have added more resources and training to support the public and help young people at risk of suicide. The festive season can be overwhelming for some so please remember to look out for those around you and don’t be afraid to ask if someone is OK.
If you need support, you can still contact someone you trust for help. You are not alone and it is OK not to be OK.
If you’re struggling just text MRF to 85258 so you can speak to a trained volunteer from Shout, the UK’s Crisis Text Line service
Molly Rose Foundation’s year in numbers
As of this year, Molly Rose Foundation has distributed 184,000 Where To Find Help Cards. These free, wallet-sized cards serve as a quick and handy reminder of some of the vital help and resources available to young people in times of crisis. Remember, just a £10 donation enables us to create 1,000 Help Cards.
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We are also delighted to say we have distributed 4,936 Molly Rose Foundation-designed Bags of Happiness to primary school pupils this year. These cheerful organza bags empower and equip children with vital tools with which to express themselves. As well as being helpful in supporting PSHE lessons, they also provide a tangible and free resource for helping to reflect on happy memories and gain strength from these. There’s more on how to get involved in this scheme below.
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In March, we widened our training offering and now offer classes in Suicide First Aid, What is Mental Health? and Youth Mental Health First Aid Champions. That means that in the past 12 months, we have reached 1,725 adults and young people with our training. This includes training those involved in day-to-day contact with young people in wellbeing strategies and more crucially, how to have a three-step conversation that could save a life.
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This year saw change in Westminster as Labour took power, with Molly Rose Foundation taking the opportunity to publish a General Election Manifesto spelling out FIVE bold polices that will transform children’s online safety and well-being.
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First-of-its-kind research released by the charity in August revealed that children are being put at risk by the failure of major social networks to detect and remove dangerous suicide and self-harm content. Analysis of over 12 million content moderation decisions by six major tech platforms showed that over 95% of suicide and self-harm posts are being detected by just TWO major platforms – Pinterest and TikTok. Astonishingly, Instagram and Facebook are each responsible for only one per cent of all suicide and self-harm content detected by major platforms. X, formerly known as Twitter, is responsible for just one in 700 content decisions.
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The charity was represented in the Brighton Marathon this year by THREE runners – including Molly’s sisters Alice and Rebecca, who alongside Diggory Slee raised £6,800. A reminder that if you would like to run and fundraise for us in the Brighton Marathon next year, get in touch! We also have some places in the Brighton 10k, which like the marathon is held on April 6 2025. During last year’s event, three coffee shops in Brighton and Hove participated in Coffee for Molly, a Molly Rose Foundation initiative which helps start conversations about mental health. It is free for coffee shops to sign up and they will be stocked with Where to Find Help cards, conversation starter menus and coffee cup sleeves all making the public aware of the charity and the importance of taking time to talk. If you own or know of a coffee shop that would like to get involved in next year’s event, please email hello@mollyrosefoundation.org
News and raising awareness
This month, Ofcom published its Code of Practice for illegal content as part of the implementation of the Online Safety Act – with Molly Rose Foundation branding the proposals a “bitter disappointment.” Chief Executive Andy Burrows appeared on the BBC News where he described the codes as demonstrating a clear and palpable lack of ambition, that the regulator has failed to understand many of the harms in the scope and that the Code of Practice is insufficient, as are its risk assessments and that its recommended measures lack rigour. You can read his full response here.
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Molly Rose Foundation hosted a joint roundtable with the Center for Countering Digital Hate, where we welcomed the DSIT Minister for Online Safety to discuss the anniversary of the Online Safety Act. We took the opportunity to launch our Bluesky and post about it there.
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Molly Rose Foundation was quoted widely in response to the Government’s Statement of Strategic Priorities, demonstrating the effect of our influencing before the election and showing that the Government is listening to our calls for the regulator to be more assertive. The statement outlines Technology Secretary Peter Kyle’s priorities related to online safety as a guide to independent regulator Ofcom. Chair of Trustees Ian Russell said it was an “important marker for Ofcom to be bolder” but said that should not obscure the fact that the Online Safety Act needed to be strengthened.
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A comment piece from Ian on the recent online safety debate was carried by The i in which he said: “Now is the time for boldness not timidity. My message to the Prime Minister is therefore clear: act quickly and decisively to finish the job, don’t delay strengthening the legislation.”
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CEO Andy Burrows also authored a comment piece on Politics Home, where he pointed out that while platforms are little safer than they were when Molly died, social media bans would have a negative effect on the progress we’ve made with the Online Safety Act. Calling for Government legislation to make online platforms safe and age-appropriate, he said: “This isn’t time for backward steps or sticking plaster approaches, but for the government to finish the job and comprehensively protect children from preventable harm.”
To see more MRF news and press releases, please visit our news section.
Education, training and self-support
Training
Visit our revamped training page where you can use our new booking portal to attend vital, potentially life-saving courses including Suicide First Aid, Mental Health First Aid and training for Youth Mental Health First Aid Champions. We will be updating our calendar at the bottom of the page with plenty of new courses for you to attend in the new year.
Bag of Happiness
To date this year, close to 5,000 free MRF-designed and produced Bags of Happiness (which each contain a ‘Where to find Help’ card) have been distributed throughout various schools.
Feedback tells us this initiative is empowering for the children who take part and equips them with vital tools with which to express themselves. This resource is great for supporting PSHE lessons and any other occasion where it is important to reflect on happy memories and gain strength from these.
If you are a teacher or parent and would like to receive one or more of these packs please contact us via: training@mollyrosefoundation.org to submit your request, letting us know relevant information, including your name, address, contact details, number of packs required etc.
DBS-checked MRF trainers are also available to run workshops using the packs and will happily come into schools in the London area to do so.
Support in crisis
Since the start of this year, we are delighted to have sent out 64,535 ‘Where to find help’ cards in response to 212 requests.
These popular pocked-sized help cards feature four different messages of reassurance and provide information signposting children and young people to mental health support services.
Some of our recent feedback: “In our college we have a dedicated well-being space that serves all students aged 16-19, and these cards will be extremely helpful.”
“I will be distributing the cards to children and teenagers at schools via our school drop in service, or during health assessments for children & young people who are under social services.”
We also welcome requests from universities, colleges and schools. If you are an individual with a connection to any of these, please get in touch.
Each box contains approximately 140 cards and if you require more than one box, please state how many in the comments section online and we will arrange delivery of any amount required.
Please Click here to complete a request form and find out more about our help cards.
Other ways to support us
Become a regular donor – Click here to view our Enthuse platform, where you can view fundraising events already in place and where you can take the opportunity to start fundraising yourself. Alternatively, click here where you can make a donation directly.
Work with us
We’re looking for a Head of Fundraising and two Policy and Public Affairs Managers that can help us grow and deliver our mission to create a safer online world and to connect young people with the help and support they need to stay safe and well. To apply for either role, please send a CV and cover letter (max 2 sides A4) to hello@mollyrosefoundation.org. Applications close Friday, January 10th 2025.
