The NACFB has named The Sam West Foundation as its official charity partner for 2026/27, committing to a fundraising target of £30,000 while also pledging to raise awareness of the charity’s work supporting children, young people, and families affected by mental health challenges.

Founded in 2018 by Sam’s parents, Chris and Michelle, The Sam West Foundation was established in memory of their son, who tragically took his life at the age of 15 following a short period of clinical depression. The charity is dedicated to improving awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health issues affecting young people, while also advancing education in music and the arts.

Sam grew up in Kent in a close and loving family with his parents and two brothers, Ben and Tom. He was deeply valued by the many friends around him, who knew him for his gentleness, kindness, quick wit and playful sense of humour. He was also gifted in music and the arts, with a bright future ahead of him.

The Foundation was recommended to the NACFB by a team member who attended school with Sam and felt the impact of his loss within the school and the wider community. The NACFB selected the charity not only because of this personal connection, but also in part due to its small size, recognising the potential for a greater impact.

Sam’s parents, Chris and Michelle, shared: “The Sam West Foundation is deeply grateful to have been selected as the charity partner of the NACFB this year.  

“We hope that this will not only enable us to continue our broader work to promote awareness, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues affecting children, young adults and their families, but also to explore ways by which such support could be offered to the NACFB community.”

Since its inception, the Foundation has already demonstrated the tangible impact that targeted funding can achieve. For example, £9,300 enabled the training of four school staff as mental health first aid instructors, which in turn led to in-house training for 590 staff and 100 sixth form students. This would have cost schools £94,780 to deliver independently. As a result, hundreds of staff and students are now equipped with the skills to identify young people in need, break down stigma, and guide them towards appropriate support.

In addition, £23,000 invested across four schools in Kent funded mental health practitioners to provide one-to-one counselling for 172 children. A further 487 children accessed drop-in support sessions, while 592 sessions were delivered to staff to strengthen their ability to support emotionally vulnerable students. The programme also extended to families, with 351 parent sessions helping equip parents with the tools to support their children. Alongside this, £4,000 has contributed to co-funding wider counselling services in schools.