Our Vision
We envision a future where the Church plays a vital role in supporting the mental health of young people, and no young person struggles alone.
Our Mission
We equip churches to create safe, relational spaces that support the mental health of young people, while also developing training, resources, and partnerships that enable a wider, sustainable response.
Our Story
A gap too many young people fall into
Across the UK, increasing numbers of young people are struggling with their mental health.
Some are battling anxiety. Some are feeling isolated and alone. Some are carrying pressures that feel overwhelming. Many are brave enough to ask for help. But then they find themselves caught in a gap.
Not unwell enough for specialist services. Not well enough to thrive.
The gap that changed everything
Our founder, Georgia, knows that gap personally. As a teenager, she struggled with her mental health and was referred for support. After months of waiting, she was told she didn't meet the threshold for ongoing help. Years later, as a Mental Health Nurse, she found herself meeting young people in exactly the same position. Young people who were clearly struggling. Young people who needed support. Young people who were falling through the cracks. Again and again, the same question emerged:
What happens to young people before they reach crisis point?
At the same time...
Schools were looking for support. Families were looking for support. Mental health services were under increasing pressure.
And churches were asking a different question: "We want to help. But how?"
Churches care deeply about young people. They are places of relationship, belonging, community and hope. Yet many feel unequipped to respond confidently and safely to the growing mental health needs of young people.
That's why The Pillar exists
The Pillar was created to bridge the gap. Not by replacing CAMHS. Not by becoming a counselling service. Not by trying to do work we're not trained to do. But by helping churches offer something many young people desperately need: peace, hope and freedom.
Through training, resources and Pillar Spaces, we equip churches to support young people's mental health with confidence, compassion and best practice.
What we believe
We believe that care was never meant to be carried alone. From the earliest days of the Church, people shared responsibility for one another's wellbeing. Jesus built communities where people were known, valued and supported. We believe that model still matters today.
By combining mental health expertise with the relational strength of local churches, we help create spaces where young people can:
Feel seen and heard
Build resilience and confidence
Form healthy relationships
Explore life's bigger questions
Discover peace, hope and freedom
Our Values
We believe that supporting the mental health of young people is an important expression of our Christian faith and that every young person is worthy of being known and not left to struggle alone. Everything we do is shaped by a desire to see young people experience peace, hope and freedom, enabling them to move forward in their lives.
Our work is shaped by the following values...
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We prioritise trust, consistency, and connection, recognising that meaningful change happens through relationship over time.
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We believe change is possible, holding a hopeful vision shaped by our Christian faith that is open and invitational to all.
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We create safe, high-quality environments that place people at the centre and are marked by excellence and integrity.
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We value lived experience, creating space for people to be heard and shaping our work through listening and reflection.
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We are open, creative and responsive, continually learning and adapting to meet real and emerging needs.
Our Approach
The Pillar is not simply a youth programme, and it is not a clinical service. It is a blended model that brings together:
Relational community - consistent, trusted relationships over time
Evidence-informed practice - safe, structured, and professionally grounded
Faith-rooted hope - shaped by Christian values, accessible to all
Founder
Georgia founded The Pillar in 2020 after receiving a clear vision to support the mental health of young people through the local church.
Having grown up in the local area, she saw first-hand the challenges facing young people and the gap in support available. During her teenage years, Georgia experienced her own mental health struggles, which later shaped her passion for creating better pathways of support.
She qualified as a Registered Mental Health Nurse in 2019 and went on to work in the NHS before joining St Wins Church as Community Youth Pastor. Alongside this, she became a Christian in 2020 — a journey that has deeply shaped both her life and her work.
Georgia now leads The Pillar as it grows beyond its original context, bringing together her clinical experience, faith, and vision to help churches create safe, relational spaces where young people can access support and not feel alone.
Our Trustees
Tori Reid
Toris is a Registered General Nurse who qualified in 2011, building most of her career in Emergency and Critical Care. She served as Senior Sister within the NHS before joining The Pillar in 2023 to Co-Lead The Pillar in it’s start-up, a role she held for 2 years. A familiar face at St Wins Church since her youth, Tori returned to the congregation after moving back to Totton in 2021. With over five years experience in clinical leadership, operations management and team development, she brought both professional expertise and deep compassion to her work. Although she has now stepped away from her paid role at The Pillar to focus on church operations, Tori maintains her commitment to improviing mental health provision and ensuring every young person can access the help they need whenever they need it.
Emily Harvey
Emily is an experienced Charity Director skilled in Nonprofit Organisations, Management, Fundraising, Strategic Planning and Leadership Development. She is a strong information technology professional with a Master’s Degree focused in Third Sector Management from Cass Business School. SHe is currently the Stratefy Delivery Lead for leading UK charity Young Minds.
Natasha Duke
Dr Natasha Duke is a Senior Nurse, who has published in the field of spirituality and clinical care and guest lectures at Universities on this subject. She works in the NHS for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and has previously sat on the Nursing & Midwifery Council Fitness to Practice hearing board. She is also a company director.
Dan Pitt
Dan is a father of 4 (2 teenagers) with 14 years of experience in fostering in both the private and local authority sectors. He has been a Principal and Responsible Individual for a school and 10 homes for children with Autism and learning difficulties. He has twenty years of experience in training and education, with 17 years of experience in educational leadership. He has over 7 years of commercial leadership experience in sales, retail, start-ups, and regional operations, turning over £29MM/year.
Tim Taylor
Tim is a vicar-in-training with 10 years of youth ministry experience across two church communities. He is passionate about helping young people encounter Jesus in ways that are real and life-changing, using creative and innovative approached that meet them where they are. His heart is to see the next generation grow in confidence, purpose and faith.
Our Partners
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Lordshill
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St Wins
