A £45,000 commitment to young people's mental health has been announced in memory of a local woman whose compassion touched many lives.
'Become a Journey' has launched with a three-year pledge that will fund specialist support at King James’s School.
The new initiative is inspired by Becki Ashton-Jones and founded by her husband David and parents Steve and Anne Jones.
David said his late wife, Becki, was a “quiet force of compassion”, especially when it came to young people, particularly those navigating anxiety, loss, low confidence and fractured relationships.
He said:
“She believed deeply in the power of connection, safe spaces, and simply being present with someone, trusting in them until they could believe in themselves."
Shaped by those values, Become a Journey has launched with a three-year initiative after responding directly to King James’s School’s request for support.
The organisation will provide £15,000 per year over three consecutive years to fund the placement of qualified mental health professionals from Well Connections at the school.
The practitioner will be based at the school for two days per week working closely with the school to ensure young people can access the right support when they need it.
Become a journey was created to continue Becki’s journey carrying forward her compassion, her belief in care and connection, and her instinct to respond where people need support most.
While the organisation’s work will develop over time, her family says this first initiative reflects both Becki’s strong concern for young people and a direct response to the needs expressed by the school.
David said:
“When King James’s School publicly shared the challenges they were facing in supporting young people, it felt important to respond. Becki cared deeply about young people and believed in the power of connection and presence.
"After speaking with Steve and Anne, we couldn’t think of a more worthy initiative with which to launch Become a Journey, one that reflects her values and makes a real difference to young people.”
Cathryn Sutherland, Attendance Champion at King James’s School, said:
“This support comes at a crucial time for our school. Even though we benefit from valuable support through services such as Wellbeing in Mind, CAMHS and other excellent provisions, further support remained essential to fully support our students needs.
"The partnership with Become a Journey allows us to strengthen the support available to our young people in a meaningful and sustainable way, and we are extremely grateful for their commitment.”
The partnership will include appropriate impact reporting focused on the number of young people supported and the general categories of need addressed, ensuring transparency while protecting confidentiality.
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