Our faith inspires us to share God’s love through compassionate care for those who need it most. Join us in making a difference in your local community by walking alongside young people in crisis, bringing hope, comfort, and light into their darkest moments.
THE VISION
Since 2016, Emerge Advocacy has been supporting young people in emotional crisis across the south of England. Our vision is that every young person who walks into a hospital anywhere in the UK can access this kind of compassionate support.
To make that vision a reality, we’ve developed a replicable model. Working alongside our funders, we’ve spent the last few years refining our approach so that churches can establish and run Emerge projects in their own local hospitals, with comprehensive training, resources, and ongoing support from our team.
The need has never been greater. Every day, young people arrive at hospital overwhelmed by mental health crises, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and trauma. With more than 10 years of experience and evidence demonstrating the impact of our work, we’ve seen first-hand how having an Emerge Youth Support Worker alongside a young person in these moments can bring hope, reduce distress, and change the course of their journey.
Now, we’re inviting churches across the UK to be part of that vision – bringing compassionate, faith-inspired support to young people when they need it most.
WHY?
Too many young people arrive at hospital feeling frightened, alone, and without hope. While clinical teams provide vital medical care, there is also a need for compassionate, relational support. By partnering with local churches, we can bring hope, comfort, and a trusted adult alongside young people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives—helping more young people, in more hospitals, across the UK.
HOW?
We equip churches to establish and run an Emerge project in their local hospital. We provide the training, resources, policies, and ongoing support needed to deliver safe, high-quality care, while the local church builds a team of volunteers and youth workers to serve young people in partnership with their NHS Trust. Together, we can bring practical support and lasting hope to those who need it most.
Emerge Advocacy
(National Charity)
Clear and accessible strategy for the churches to bring hope to young people in mental health crisis
A comprehensive suite of policies, procedures and training plus full insurance
Provision of ‘backstop’ and DSL function for the project – real time support and guidance
Pre-set-up discernment and coaching with clear, step by step process from initiation to launch and beyond
Anchor Church
Passion for bringing hope to young people in crisis and a faith-filled commitment to the highs and lows of this journey
Joint appointment of an Emerge Local Lead in a paid or voluntary capacity
Being an ambassador and anchor point for Emerge amongst other local churches and Christian community, inviting others to join through prayer, finance and volunteering
Committing to Emerge Advocacy’s project fees for set up costs and a monthly commitment to meet the ongoing costs of your Emerge Local Project and support from Emerge Advocacy
Emerge Local
(Governance Board)
Being the local support and oversight hub for the Emerge Local Project, championing the vision and supporting the team
Adopting Emerge Advocacy’s policies and procedures and supporting the project team to consistently and diligently put these into practice
Line management and support of Emerge Local Lead
Fundraising for additional project costs by running events, inviting individuals and other churches to give and applying for grants where needed
Local Hospital
Openness and desire to see an Emerge Local Project established within the hospital trust
Commitment to a quarterly Advisory Group of key trust staff for governance and integration including the ability to efficiently onboard project team to operate on site
Integrating Emerge’s simple referral pathway and providing opportunities for clinical staff to understand the service and be confident to refer
Hosting project publicity materials in patient-facing areas
Why this model?
For every young person in crisis to have access to this support, we need a model that can grow beyond what one organisation can provide alone. By partnering with local churches, we can equip communities across the UK to respond to the needs of young people in their own hospitals, creating a network of sustainable projects rooted locally.
Rather than opening and running every project ourselves, this approach allows us to multiply our impact by sharing our training, experience, and resources with churches who are already passionate about serving their communities. Local teams bring local relationships, commitment, and long-term ownership, while Emerge provides the expertise, guidance, and support to ensure every project maintains the same high standards of care.
Find out how your church can partner with us to transform crisis care in your community.
hellolocal@emergeadvocacy.com
