3rd December 2025
Partnerships and multi-year funding are key to systemic change; one of our DAF clients has seen this approach change the lives of thousands of young people.
The scale of the mental health challenges affecting children and young people is unprecedented and there is both inequality and clear lack of sufficient provision of therapeutic support for the mental health of children in schools. In 2015 this led a group of philanthropists to come together to ensure vulnerable children weren’t left without essential support and led to the founding of Unlocking Potential.
Unlocking Potential seeks to address this inequality and lack of resources by providing flexible programmes of in-depth, over time, multi-disciplinary therapeutic support in schools for children, along with the support their families need, to enable every child to be the best version of themselves.
The charity serves children in schools, their families and the schools who support them, in order to meet needs which would otherwise not be met in the state funded sector.
Unlocking Potential’s mission is to provide more children with tailored therapeutic support and equip them and their families with the confidence, tools and skills to enable them to thrive at school and in their lives.
From being a small initiative to now operating in 28 schools, Unlocking Potential continues to grow. Donations from Prism have funded workshops and therapeutic support which has impacted on thousands of children and their families.
Flexible Giving, Maximum Impact
Supporter, co-founder and chair of trustees of Unlocking Potential, Stuart Roden is a passionate advocate of all issues relating to social justice. He serves on various board such as the National Gallery, The Centre for Social Justice and The Rabbi Sacks Foundation.
Stuart was heavily involved in setting up Unlocking Potential alongside other founding trustees. At this point Prism was already managing Stuart’s other charitable giving through his Donor-Advised Fund and it made sense for him to support the new charity using this model.
“It’s taken out the massive hassle. Prism oversees everything; they’re responsive and do great reporting. But for me, the key is that it makes giving easier across multiple causes.”
The Power of Unrestricted Funding
The DAF has enabled him to support Unlocking Potential with unrestricted grants that have helped the charity target funds where they need them most. This approach helps charities to become more sustainable, expand their programmes, invest in infrastructure, and scale their services to reach more beneficiaries.
When asked where philanthropists should be targeting their funds in this area, he responds, “There’s so much need. Everywhere needs investment, but early years intervention is something I feel strongly about – if you fix it early, you’re preventing bigger problems later down the line.”
The charity does a lot of early intervention work. Last year, 100% of children said they had improved their confidence and self-esteem. Whilst 98% said they could manage their emotions better after the workshops. The charity also runs a parenting programme, with 100% of parents saying their children are now better at managing their emotions.
Greater Collaboration with Philanthropists and Partners
While Unlocking Potential has made a significant impact, funding mental health initiatives in schools remains an ongoing challenge.
There is a clear and unrelenting need for systemic change. There are currently 150,000 children absent from school (something Stuart is currently writing a research paper on), a crisis in SEND education, and the mental health system is stretched to breaking point.
Stuart believes that the next step for Unlocking Potential, and the sector as a whole, is greater collaboration between government, donors, and organisations.
“My mission is about building and promoting partnerships. We’d love to do this in collaboration with government. At the moment, we’re having to do it ourselves.”
Stuart believes a collaborative funding model is needed, where government support is combined with philanthropic investment to expand successful models nationwide.
“We need to bring together innovative charities from across different areas – not just from the mental health space – with government, philanthropists and donors to kickstart some innovative thinking.
“By working together we can scale. If we show the output is meaningful, we’d improve access to services, and it would create more fundraising opportunities. This is much harder to do individually.”
What’s Next for Unlocking Potential?
The charity is in the process of reviewing its current strategy with ambitious plans for expanding its reach to support more schools.
However, sustainable growth depends on continued investment and partnerships with funders and policymakers.
Unlocking Potential’s work shows what can be achieved when dedicated individuals come together with a shared vision. With greater collaboration and targeted funding, many more children will have the chance to unlock their full potential.
This year, Prism celebrates 20 years of shaping the future of giving. We have raised over $1 billion for charitable causes around the world, working with philanthropists like Stuart and others committed to systemic change. If you would like to read more about the other inspiring people and projects we’ve supported, check out our spotlight section here.
