To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, BBC Children in Need is calling on adults across the UK to take responsibility for children’s mental health by checking in, listening and being someone young people feel safe talking to when it matters most.

Every three minutes, a child is referred to mental health services for anxiety in England. Yet hundreds of thousands of children who need support face long waits, meaning help often comes too late. This reality makes early intervention – and the role of trusted adults in everyday life – more critical than ever.

A UK wide Censuswide online survey commissioned by BBC Children in Need of 2,500 parents and 2,500 children aged 10-14, reveals the scale of the challenge facing children today. Almost a quarter of children (24%) surveyed say they regularly keep their worries to themselves because they don’t know who to talk to or find it hard to explain how they feel, while one in five (21%) haven’t been shown how to talk about mental health in a way that feels safe or supportive. These worries are taking a real toll, with over one in six (17%*) children saying their worries regularly affect their sleep or ability to focus at school. More than a third (38%) say their worries have made life less enjoyable or caused them to stay silent due to fear or embarrassment, and nearly a quarter (24%) say they are only sometimes listened to when they speak out about how they’re feeling.

Parents share these concerns. One in five (20%*) believe their child regularly keeps worries to themselves, while three quarters say they are worried about children relying on AI tools for mental health support.

That urgency is why, for the very first time, BBC Children in Need’s iconic mascot of more than 40 years is doing something he has never done before: Pudsey is speaking.

In a special new film, Pudsey Finds His Voice, Pudsey speaks out to deliver a simple but vital message: every child deserves an adult who will listen.

The 30 second film created by BBC Creative and Blinkink shows Pudsey in conversation with British child actor Dexter Sol Ansell, capturing the power and importance of conversation. Pudsey Finds His Voice will air across BBC television and radio from this evening, with an exclusive premiere on The One Show at 7pm on May 11th.

BBC Children in Need’s research found that children who often have someone to talk to are around nine times more likely to say they feel happy than those who do not and so to help parents, carers and other trusted adults feel more confident starting these vital conversations BBC Children in Need has partnered with The Children’s Society to create practical guidance and tools, available via its dedicated mental health hub.

Alongside this national call to action, the charity is also investing directly in early intervention when it matters most and today announces £1.24 million in new funding for vital mental health support.  This includes a funding award of £745,000 to Mental Health Innovations – the charity behind Shout – to expand its free, confidential digital counselling service for 13-18 year olds, boosting volunteer capacity and upgrading technology so more young people can access fast, anonymous support when they need it most.

In addition, a further £500,000 has been awarded to The Children’s Society to continue support for the Space to Grow project, which delivers accessible 121, group and peer led support sessions in schools and local communities across the UK to improve children’s emotional wellbeing.

Both these awards are in addition to the £40m that BBC Children in Need is already investing in more than 700 projects across the UK supporting children with their mental health.

Claire Hoyle, Interim Chief Executive at BBC Children in Need, commented: “Our research makes clear that far too many children and young people are carrying their worries alone, and that silence can have serious consequences for their mental health. We know the difference one trusted adult can make. When a child feels heard, it can change everything – helping them cope earlier and stopping problems from becoming more serious. Pudsey has stood alongside children for over 40 years, and now, for the first time ever, he’s finding his voice. Pudsey is finding his voice because too many children feel they can’t share what they’re going through, and too many adults aren’t sure how to start that conversation. This campaign is a call to adults. It’s on all of us to create the moments, ask the questions, and really listen – so children feel safe to open up.”

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Categories: Press Releases

Tags: BBC, charity, children’s TV, the noe show, The One Show