Pears Foundation grants £2.5m to Anna Freud Centre
Howard Lake | 2 May 2016 | News
Pears Foundation is to donate £2.5 million towards the development of a new centre of excellence in children’s mental health. It will be be situated on a site currently owned by the Anna Freud Centre in King’s Cross, central London.
It will “bring together the best people and organisations in neuroscience, mental health and education” to work directly with children and their families. It will develop new treatments, interventions and approaches” informed by the most recent scientific discoveries” to deliver better mental health services on a local, national and international level.
At full capacity the school will offer intensive, tailored psychological and educational support for up to 48 children aged between 5 and 14 who are at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream school, and their families.
At the heart of the centre of excellence is the Family School which is being specifically supported by Pears Foundation. It will be the first setting of its kind where mental health is completely integrated into children’s education and the entire family is supported.
Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair of the Pears Foundation, said:
“We are really excited and proud to be working with The Anna Freud Centre and having our family’s name associated with a ground-breaking facility like the centre of excellence and the school which will lie at its heart. This will really boost our ongoing commitment to developing understanding of the challenges children face today and how they can be supported.”
Construction of the new school is due to start later this year with the aim of it opening its doors for the start of the new academic year in September 2018. The charity is continuing a fundraising campaign to make the rest of the centre of excellence a reality.
Pears Foundation’s grants from 2011-2015
Pears Foundation is an independent British family foundation rooted in Jewish values. Led by the Pears family with the support of a full-time professional team, the Foundation invests around £15 million each year in a range of charitable organisations and causes. It focuses on understanding complex issues, engaging people in achieving social progress and promoting wellbeing.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.