About Maudsley Charity

We support patients and carers, clinical care teams and scientists who are working towards improving mental health. We fund ideas, big and small, that drive improvement and support people who experience mental illness.

Why we’re here

When someone becomes ill, the effect on them, their friends and family can be life-changing. It can happen to any of us. The consequences of mental ill health are far reaching – affecting employment, relationships, finances and even life expectancy.

Maudsley Charity exists to fund the people and projects striving to improve care, support recovery and prevent mental illness.

How we work

We work with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. Together we drive direct improvements in prevention, clinical care and treatment. This unique partnership enables us to fund innovative projects and research which change lives across London, the UK and the world. Building the proof and expertise which will allow us all to live in better mental health.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London are part of King’s Health Partners, an Academic Health Sciences Centre that brings together King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas‘, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts. The organisations work together to combine basic and translational health research, clinical care and education to create world-leading improvements in healthcare.

We also work with a wide range of voluntary organisations and partners who share our values and commitment to improving mental health. You can find out more about our work and future plans by reading our strategy.

We’re committed to the mental health of those who live locally, but we believe that the work that we fund can have impact at a national and international level. Our primary area of operation are the boroughs that South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and substance misuse (drug and alcohol) services in, these are: Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark.

Our values

Passion & Purpose

We are passionate about improving mental health and motivated by our ability to make a difference​ for those most impacted by mental illness.

Integrity​

We will act with integrity. We will be objective and consistent in how we allocate funding and support. We will counter direct and indirect discrimination.

Knowledge

We value diversity of experience, expertise, and perspective. We will build into our organisation, and every aspect of our work, a range of voices, including those of people who experience mental illness.

Improvement​

We care about maintaining high standards and improvement. We will be open about where we could do better, learn from our successes and failures and expect those we work with to do the same​.

Appreciation​

We value relationships and show appreciation for support we get in whatever form that takes. We know that we influence change through the expertise and commitment of others.

Where we’ve come from

We can trace our history back to 1247 and the foundation of Bethlem Royal Hospital, the oldest psychiatric institution in the world.

In 1923 the Maudsley Hospital opened. Founded by Henry Maudsley, his vision was to create a centre where patient care, education and research came together to build knowledge and deliver the best possible treatment for patients.

In 1948 the Maudsley Hospital joined Bethlem Royal Hospital and later merged with Lewisham and Guy’s Mental Health Trust and Lambeth Mental Health services to become South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) in 1999. You can explore over 750 years of history by reading our timeline.

The hospital trust provides the widest range of mental health services in England including more than 50 national and specialist services for adults and children.

The Maudsley Hospital’s medical school, evolved to become the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), part of King’s College London. The IoPPN is a world leader in its field.

The unique and pioneering collaboration envisaged by Henry Maudsley continues today, supported by the Maudsley Charity.