The Purple Elephant Project is a children’s mental health charity based in West London, dedicated to providing a compassionate, non-judgemental space for children aged 4-18 and their families, to navigate emotional challenges. They offer tailored, therapeutic support at their homely Centre in Twickenham and provide outreach services in over 35 local schools. Specialising in creative therapies such as Play and Art Therapy, they help children explore, express and process difficult life experiences, emotions and trauma in a natural and safe way, with or without the need for words. 

At the heart of their work is the belief that every child’s voice deserves to be heard. The charity specialises in long-term support and early intervention, helping children address mental health symptoms early in childhood to avoid them escalating into long-term more difficult to treat illnesses. Their holistic and relational approach means they work not only with the child, but with parents, carers, professionals and schools to help create safe, connected environments beyond the therapy room. At The Purple Elephant Project, every child receives expert led, one-to-one support, giving them the continuity and consistency needed to build the trust, resilience and coping skills to transform their lives and reach their full potential.

 The Purple Elephant Project was founded in 2019 by CEO Jenny Haylock. Her personal experience as a mother of a child with additional needs and her work within child mental health as a play therapist, highlighted gaps in mental health support that led her to create a charity that ensures children and their families have access to the care and support they deserve.