It was a very positive day with many students wanting to know more about the charity and to talk about their experiences of university life.

Molly Rose Foundation is preparing to roll out its Coffee for Molly event in Brighton, which will take place during the Brighton Marathon and 10K race on April 6th.

As well as proudly cheering on runners who will be raising funds for our vital work, local coffee shops will be taking part in the initiative, which sees the placement of resources in cafes along the running routes to encourage customers to talk about mental health.

We’ve got a number of coffee shops signed up but are looking for more to take part. It is free to participate and cafes will be stocked with Where to Find Help cards, conversation starter menus and coffee cup sleeves, all making the public aware of Molly Rose Foundation and the importance of taking time to talk.

If you own or know of a coffee shop that would like to get involved, please email office@mollyrosefoundation.org

Fundraising 

Molly Rose Foundation sends out a huge thank you to all our supporters who are running on our behalf in the Brighton Marathon 2025 and 10K race on Sunday 6 April 2025.

The charity will have a big presence on the day so whether you are a runner, supporter or are just in Brighton that weekend come and find us in the Event Village, say hello, buy some branded merchandise and celebrate our runners’ achievements.

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All the team at Molly Rose Foundation sends out grateful thanks to the Yoga Collective in Hatch End, who raised a total of £1,100 for us across two charity events.

Founder Aimee Garcia-Marshall said: “At the heart of everything we do, we stand by the ethics of yoga, ahimsa (non-harming), aparigraha (non-possessiveness) and satya (truthfulness). Our fundraising efforts at Yoga Collective are just one way we put these principles into action, using the power of our community to uplift others and create meaningful change.”

Education, training and self-support

Training 

We now list the vital courses you can book with us on our revamped training page; whether it’s how to become a Youth Mental Health First Aid Champion, ways to open a crucial conversation about Suicide First Aid, our What is Mental Health two-hour workshop or our My Bag of Happiness activity for schoolchildren.

At present we have two courses on offer before Easter including Youth Mental Health First Aid on Tuesday 8th April and Suicide First Aid (half day) on Wednesday 30 April. We will update this page regularly with the new courses we add.

Some of the feedback we have received recently: “I found the course really valuable in helping me to be able to support the students I work with at a high school. Our instructor was also fabulous at presenting what is a sensitive subject in a way that was accessible and interesting for the group.”

“The course progressed at a good pace, with plenty to learn and apply in both personal and professional life. I believe this course should be expanded to include families, as parents need to be aware of these concepts. Mental health should be addressed at home, and educating parents could help them understand the approaches to take if they are struggling, potentially benefiting their own mental health as well.”

My Bag of Happiness 

Our success during Children’s Mental Health Week is just the start for My Bag of Happiness this year as we look to reach more schools and give valuable lessons to more children. Suitable for children aged between 7-11, the cheerful purple bags support PSHE lessons and encourage children to create and collect happy memories, enabling them to reflect upon these and gain strength when needed.

Feedback tells us this initiative is empowering for the children who take part and equips them with vital tools with which to express themselves.

If you are a teacher or parent and would like to receive one or more of these Molly Rose Foundation-designed My Bag of Happiness packs please contact us via training@mollyrosefoundation.org to submit your request, letting us know the relevant information (including your name, address, contact details, number of packs required etc). Any additional background details you can provide us with about why you’d like one or more of these packs would also be appreciated.

Molly Rose Foundation staff are also available to run workshops using the packs and will happily come into schools in the London area to do this. Our trainers are DBS checked and are used to working with children in schools. To arrange a workshop please contact us at: training@mollyrosefoundation.org

Donations directly to the My Bag of Happiness initiative can be made here.

News

This month we partnered with Pan Macmillan to send a copy of ‘Careless People’ by Sarah Wynn-Williams to every MP across the country. We did this after Meta blocked the author from publicising the book, which includes claims that data on children’s vulnerabilities was used for targeted advertising.

Our CEO Andy Burrows said: “At a time when the UK risks going backwards on online safety, lawmakers should carefully heed the crucial testimony of whistleblowers. The safety of our children and society cannot be left to unchecked tech oligarchs or traded-off for their promises of further investment. MPs must be tasked with strengthening the Online Safety Act and we hope this book will help to achieve that.”

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As our team continues to grow, Molly Rose Foundation is delighted to welcome Katie Hayman-Joyce aboard as a Policy and Public Affairs Manager.

Katie joins us after five years in the Civil Service, where she worked across a variety of departments to support Ministers develop policy and engage with Parliament.

She said: “Trying to protect young people is nearly impossible when we don’t even really understand the space they spend most of their time operating in. Molly’s story is a wake up call for everyone – regulating online spaces is a complex task, however it is crucial for protecting young people whose lives are increasingly moving online.”

Molly Rose Foundation this month released new polling which revealed significant public concern about online harm driven by fluid ideologies, such as violence and self-harm grooming. The charity urged the Prime Minister to commit to decisive action to address online harms in the wake of the Southport conviction, with the polling confirming this would attract strong public support. Chair of Trustees Ian Russell appeared on Chanel Four News where he revealed that only 8% of parents thought enough was being done by the Government to make the online world safe.

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Mid-month saw the Online Safety Act come into force, with Molly Rose Foundation leading a robust response as Ian appeared on Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and ITV News, where he explained that families are being let down by Ofcom’s timid approach and that harmful content online is getting worse, not better.

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Ian also appeared on the Today programme, in which he called on the Prime Minister to strengthen the Online Safety Act. He said: “The Act has been very timid and hasn’t exploited the full powers that are available to it… so it’s really important that the the Government gets onto this and changes things fast so that the online in the world can be safe… Keir Starmer and number 10 have to drive this forward.”

To see more MRF news and press releases, please visit our news section.

Support in crisis 

This year so far, we have sent out 12,950 Where To Find Help cards in response to 47 requests.  Since the charity began operating, we have distributed more than 200,000.

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: “We will be using these cards for young people who are hard to place and are not able to access support from mainstream providers and caregivers.”

“I am a trainer in suicide prevention and mental health. These cards are so useful, especially in schools and colleges.”

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 with a list of recommended organisations that can help in varying circumstances. On the reverse side you’ll find printed one of four different inspiring quotes.

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.