'Kezia's Fund' gives first grants to support young people's mental health in Jersey

A charitable fund has been set up in memory of Kezia Mason, who took her own life in 2022 aged 14. Credit: Mason Family

A fund set up in memory of a Jersey teenager who took her own life has given out more than £100,000 to charities supporting young people's mental health.

The donations have been announced on Wednesday 26 July, on would have been Kezia Mason's 16th birthday.

After her death in March 2022, islanders rallied around to support Kezia's loved ones - raising more than £125,000 which the family pledged to donate to mental health charities "to ensure that no child or young person or their family faces the darkness of mental health challenges alone".

The Jersey Community Foundation has been brought in to oversee how the fund is managed and help distribute the grants.

11 organisations, groups and charities in Jersey have been given a share of £109,689 in the first round of funding.

Thrive Jersey received £10,000 to recruit school staff or students aged 15+ to serve as suicide prevention advocates - raising awareness of behaviour that can negatively impact someone's mental health.

The Jersey Youth Trust has been given more than £5,400 to hold 'Wellbeing Days' for secondary-school-age children to learn coping strategies and improve their mental health.

More than £14,400 has been awarded to Family Nursing & Home Care to hold six-week programmes for 13-16 year-olds struggling with their emotional or mental health.

The 11 beneficiaries from the first round of grants were:

  • AllMatters Neurodiverse Jersey

  • Brighter Futures

  • Healing Waves

  • Jersey Eating Disorders Support

  • Kairos Arts

  • Mind Jersey

  • NSPCC Jersey

  • St John Ambulance

  • Thrive Jersey

  • The Jersey Youth Trust

  • Family Nursing & Home Care

A further round of funding is due to take place at the end of 2023 or early 2024.

Kezia's dad, Rob Mason, said: “As a father who has experienced the devastating loss of my much-loved daughter – who would have turned 16 today – to suicide, our family felt compelled to establish Kezia’s Fund so that no other family in Jersey has to lose another child to suicide.

"We firmly believe in the importance of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our island’s children and young people, as well as their families, by strengthening tangible and meaningful preventative support."

He added: “Through Kezia’s Fund, we aspire to bring meaning from her death and create a lasting positive impact on the lives and mental health of young individuals and their families in Jersey.

"By raising money and working with local projects that focus on youth mental health, we want to ensure that no child or young person or their family faces the darkness of mental health challenges alone."

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