Lifespace started in 2004 with a question. What would help young people to cope and recover when their heads are full of stuff and they don't know where to turn? What if that young person could be matched to a trained and trusted adult who would really listen to their story and suggest skills and strategies that would help them get unstuck and move forward?
By the end of 2004 a team of three mentors had helped 38 local young people turn difficulty into opportunity. By 2023 this number had grown to 601 young people (7 to 19).
Lifespace wasn't and can't ever be a magic wand but it can give young people the chance to discover and appreciate how amazing they are.
The charity grew from two local charities. The Mustard Tree Project which provided accommodation and support for young people across a range of issues and the Heartlands Trust which has supported Lifespace for the past 18 years, until it closed in 2022. Both were founded on the Christian principles of providing relief from need, hardship and distress. While Lifespace has moved away from this evangelical approach, the newly established Heartlands Legacy Fund enables any young person to get mentoring support, true to its origins.
