Our Mission
Innox Foundation exists to improve the mental health of young adults across the UK
We fund organisations working to improve the mental health of young people aged 18 to 25. We prioritise supporting initiatives that take a preventative approach to this growing area of need, with a particular focus on addressing loneliness and social isolation among the UK’s young adult population.
The Background
What does loneliness mean? It can mean different things to different people: from having no-one to talk to and feeling disconnected from the world to feeling left out and misunderstood.
In 2016, according to the British Red Cross, over 9 million adults in the UK said they were always or often lonely. In 2018 a study by The Loneliness Experiment* found that 40% of all 16-24 year olds said they sometimes or often felt lonely, compared to 27% of adults aged over 75.
*The Loneliness Experiment, published October 2018, is a nationwide survey amongst 55,000 people conducted by BBC Radio 4’s ‘All In The Mind’ in collaboration with the Wellcome Collection.
There are many reasons that contribute to why a young adult might feel lonely: from poverty and deprivation to maltreatment and neglect; parental mental health or addiction problems to the pressure of caring for others, right through to leaving home and living independently for the first time. And they affect everyone differently.
In 2020, things have only got worse. The COVID-19 crisis and the enforced isolation that the pandemic has meant for many has had and continues to have a devastating impact on the mental health of young adults, exacerbating some of the scenarios outlined above and creating new areas of concern. Physical isolation and disruption of social networks, along with an economic fallout we have yet to fully realise, have created huge insecurity and uncertainty about the immediate and longer-term future.
The need for effective understanding of what works to help this population is greater than ever.
About Us
Whilst there is a growing awareness of loneliness, there are still many more organisations set up to deal with loneliness in our ageing population than our younger one. But that is changing.
Innox Foundation seeks to identify and support those organisations who have the mental wellbeing of our young adults at the core of what they do. We identify and fund exceptional organisations that support young adults to improve their mental health, particularly those that do so through the lens of loneliness.
Our grants either fund the core costs of non-profit organisations or projects that meet our specific interests. The foundation does not have a formal grant application process, choosing instead to proactively identify opportunities where our funding will make the biggest difference.
OUR TEAM
We are a small team, with a variety of work and life experience amassed between us. Jacqui and Andy set up Innox Foundation as a charitable ‘vehicle’ for our own family giving; Daniel represents the younger generation in our own family and Tine is a close and valued family friend whose opinions and clear thinking we hold in great esteem. It is our hope that future generations of our families will continue the work we have started and that together we can affect some real change in this vital area.
We all share a common desire to positively affect young people’s mental health in whatever way we can – whether that’s by supporting the work that others do or pioneering projects of our own.
We believe in collaboration and partnership and hope that our modest efforts can reap benefits that will improve the lives of a generation.
Our Work
We are a young foundation and are cautious in our approach, conscious that we are learning all the time. Proud to have partnered with some outstanding organisations, we are confident there will soon be more to follow. Below are some examples of the charities and other non-profit organisations that we have supported thus far:
Grants
We fund exceptional organisations across the UK whose work improves the mental health of young adults. We do not run a formal grant application process. Instead, we actively seek out organisations to support. However, if you meet our criteria feel free to tell us about your work by completing our contact form. As we are a small team we will only respond to organisations that we consider suitable for our support.
OUR APPROACH
Our approach to making grants is characterised by the following principles:
GOOD TO KNOW…
Our selection process can be summarised into four main points
WHAT A PARTNERSHIP WITH US LOOKS LIKE
We like to stay connected during the grant period so we can find out more about the work of our grantees and the issues young people face. Where possible, we visit our partners to deepen our understanding. We ask for a report at the end of the grant period and are particularly interested in the impact a grantee’s work has had and the learning that has been acquired.
How To Apply
We are committed to upholding our most cherished values in every project and task we take on.
Whilst we actively choose to identify organisations we can partner with, if you feel you meet our criteria and would like to tell us about your work, please complete our Contact Form.