Charting the profound impact of our Young People’s programmes with Ordnance Survey

 

Ordnance Survey, utilising their unique cartography expertise, have created a data-driven visualisation of the extensive delivery of our flagship programmes: Bloom, Your Resilience, and Me & Money.

Since 2019, Mental Health UK have been developing and delivering Young People’s Programmes to almost half a million young people aged 14-18 across the UK. These programmes support young people’s understanding of their mental health whilst building empathy and personal resilience to empower and equip them to navigate life’s challenges in an increasingly complex world.

Our programmes’ extensive reach across the UK demanded a comprehensive visualization tool to illustrate our far-reaching impact, whilst also demonstrating our strategic focus on areas where statistically vulnerable communities have an increased likelihood of experiencing poor mental health.

The map’s data layers highlight areas of greatest need and will further shape and inform our targeted approach to supporting underserved communities, taking into account factors such as socioeconomic status, rural communities with more limited access to services and ethnic diversity. It also offers commissioners, partners and stakeholders a transparent view of our impact and potential reach.

Periodic updates will help us identify gaps in our reach, optimize resource allocation and evolve future initiatives for maximum effectiveness. We are immensely grateful to the team at Ordnance Survey who enabled us to take this dynamic approach to showcasing the reach of our programmes. Their commitment, expertise and innovation clearly demonstrate the power and potential of corporate partnerships in driving meaningful change.

“Working UK-wide, it can be challenging for us to demonstrate the scale of our work and to see the bigger picture of the need we are meeting in our most vulnerable communities. This map is a powerful testament to the work we’ve undertaken in these communities and also shows the vast potential for future impact we can have on young people’s mental health. This visualization is therefore much more than a retrospective tool - it's also a strategic asset.

With the expertise and commitment of Ordnance Survey, we can clearly see the correlation of our delivery within areas of high need. This tool will help us evolve our programme delivery by deepening our understanding of regional and socio-economic complexities. It’s also such an inspiring story of how our programmes have supported thousands of young people’s resilience and empowerment throughout the nations”.

– Charlotte Baldwin, Head of Young People’s programmes

To celebrate the launch of this interactive tool, we wanted to invite the team at Ordnance Survey to share their motivation behind the map’s creation and what the ongoing partnership means to them.

We caught up with Jamie Heath – Technical Geospatial Analyst, who kindly donated his time to making this map a reality.

Question: Could you tell us about the work you do at Ordnance Survey and what led you to devoting so much of your time to develop our Young People’s Programmes Impact Map?

Answer: "My role at Ordnance Survey involves supporting customers in using OS data and to enable them to uncover insights from geographic information. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Mental Health UK and it has been incredibly rewarding to collaborate with the team behind the Young People’s Programmes. This project has reinforced my belief in the power of geography to tell compelling stories and guide decision-making. Few stories are more important than the impactful work of MHUK. Creating a visualisation to demonstrate the extensive reach and influence of their initiatives across the UK was a pleasure and I’m grateful for the opportunity to support our corporate charity in my own small way."

– Jamie Heath, Technical Geospatial Analyst

Question: What do you think are the benefits of Ordnance Survey partnering with Mental Health UK?

Answer: "The collaboration between Ordnance Survey and Mental Health UK highlights the commitment both organisations have toward promoting wellbeing and good mental health. Beyond our fundraising efforts, Ordnance Survey has offered our mapping expertise to support the work of Mental Health UK. Creating an interactive map has offered unique insights into the work that MHUK has already completed and paved the way for more targeted future deliveries, ensuring that their support reaches those who need it most."

– Jamie Heath, Technical Geospatial Analyst

We want to say a huge thank you to our valued partner, Ordnance Survey, for all of the hard work and support they continue to show us. Special thanks also goes to: Danny Hyam – Senior Technical Relationship Consultant who works alongside Jamie.

The map is available to view below and on full screen throughout our Young People’s programme pages.

Me & Money      Your Resilience      Bloom

Delivery map: Young people’s programmes

Click on the below to hide the panel and see more of the map.