A Christian initiative in Southampton has secured a £20,000 development grant to help churches provide early mental health support and faith-rooted hope for young people.
The Pillar was named the 2026 Cinnamon Incubator Final winner at an awards ceremony in London on Thursday, for its work creating welcoming spaces for young people to access help, build trusted relationships and find a sense of belonging.
The Cinnamon Network, which supports grassroots church-based social action projects, will also work with four other shortlisted projects through its Incubator Scheme. Those involved will receive coaching, mentoring and residentials, to strengthen and develop their approaches that can be shared with other communities across the UK.
Georgia Hart, founder of The Pillar, told Premier Christian News the funding would grow the project’s vision “to equip the church to play its part in young people’s mental health support, for no young person to struggle alone”, developing programmes to grow beyond the two churches it currently operates in.
Hart explained the story of one young person, who six months ago “stood outside for half an hour before he could walk into the building” and “couldn’t even make eye contact with anyone”. But having been engaged in the project, “he’s often a leader in discussions, he’s absolutely thriving.”
“We’ve seen young people that have had similar issues with their confidence, they go on to pass their GCSEs, do their driving tests, go out and make new friends, things that for young people are really big and can change the trajectory of their life,” she added.
Projects that made the shortlist were: Concrete Rose, helping care-experienced students find their place at university; Onside Soccer, using football to unlock young people's potential; ParentFuel, helping families break cycles of trauma and find hope; and Riverbank Trust, walking alongside single mothers facing life's toughest challenges.
Kate Sharma, head of communications for the network, told Premier there has been “fabulous transformation” achieved through the church-based projects in the 13 years of the Incubator Programme, with projects that help people in a “holistic” way and are rooted in church communities.
A total of 63 projects have been supported by the Cinnamon Incubator Competition, which the network estimates has transformed the lives of 198,000 people.
Amanda Bindon, CEO of Cinnamon Network, said: “These five projects demonstrate just how much creativity, compassion and innovation exists within our churches and communities. They are responding to some of the most significant challenges facing children, young people and families today – often reaching people whose needs aren't being fully met by existing services.
“What excites us most is that these aren't just isolated success stories. Each project has the potential to develop an approach that can be shared and replicated elsewhere, bringing hope and practical support to thousands more people. Winning the competition is a significant milestone, but it's also the beginning of the next stage of the journey. We're looking forward to walking alongside all five projects over the next two years and helping them take their work even further.”
Nominated projects were celebrated at the awards evening, held at St Peter's Church, Notting Hill.