Fi Abou-Chanab and Tally Wilcox discussing campaigns with Carla Denyer. 11th July, 2024. Credit: Chris Jensen photography.
Turning the tide on the mental health crisis.
The Campaign
Citizens UK is calling on the UK Government to make it a legal requirement to provide counselling in primary schools, secondary schools, and Further Education colleges in England. Too many young people between 16 and 25 years are rejected from NHS services due to wait list times outlasting age limits on children’s mental health services. Headed by two young people from Brighton, Tally Wilcox and Fi Abou- Chanab led the campaign to success locally by securing £400,000 from the Brighton and Hove city council.
The Change
After four years of debates, in 2024, physical campaigns and testimonies landed 3000 signatures to a petition to speak at a council meeting in Fi and Tally’s hometown, Brighton. That evening the council agreed to set aside £200,000 of their budget towards a pilot scheme in secondary schools. The campaign later secured a further £200,000, in February 2025, bringing the total to £400,000, ensuring local colleges were included in the scheme as well.
The Future
The campaign carries on. The aim is to build on recent successes to get the local NHS Trust to also invest some much-needed money to support more young people. At the same time, discussions are now taking place with Government officials – particularly at the Department of Education – to hold to account Ministers on their commitment to roll out counselling across all schools and colleges in England.
