Mortal Fools, a leading creative learning charity based in Northumberland, has won a prestigious Children & Young People Now Award for the impact of its innovative primary school mental health programme, MELVA. The charity took home The PSHE Education Award for its digital children’s wellbeing platform and was also named a finalist in The Mental Health and Wellbeing Award category.

The Children & Young People Now Awards celebrate innovation, excellence, and outstanding practice across the children’s services sector in the UK. MELVA’s national recognition comes at a critical time, as children’s mental health needs continue to rise and schools seek effective, preventative support.

Developed by Mortal Fools, MELVA is a whole-school creative programme designed to help children aged 7–11 understand and manage their mental health. Through creative digital resources, engaging characters, and fun practical classroom activities, the programme equips young people (and their teachers!) with essential tools to recognise emotions, build resilience, and support their own wellbeing.

In the 2025/26 academic year, nearly 150 primary schools will use the MELVA - programme benefiting upward of 10000 children during a period of escalating mental health challenges for young people.

Kiz Crosbie, Artistic Director and CEO of Mortal Fools, celebrated the national recognition, saying:

“I am delighted and proud that the impact of our Melva Digital programme has been recognised with the PSHE Award in the Children & Young People Now Awards 2025.
This national award recognises the importance and success of an early intervention and prevention approach to mental health and wellbeing and strengthens our case for cross-sector working.

We share this award with all the teachers who utilise the programme with their children, the creatives who have contributed to the programme and the key funding partners like North East Combined Authority and Kavli Trust, who have helped this programme reach tens of thousands of children so far.”

Alongside the digital programme, MELVA has recently expanded its offer with the release of a brand-new adventure book, Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing. Described by acclaimed author David Almond as “well written, moving, humorous, emotionally honest,” the book follows the beloved character Melva as she navigates the highs and lows of growing up.

While the novel sits within the wider MELVA schools programme, it is also available to the public and can be enjoyed by young people aged 8–13, offering families an accessible and meaningful way to explore mental health themes at home. The book is available to purchase via Amazon.

With its national accolade and expanding educational offer, Mortal Fools continues to lead the way in creative, child-centred, early intervention and prevention approaches to mental health education—supporting the wellbeing of young people across the North East.

• A new children’s book created in the North East helping young people to deal with their big feelings has launched this festive season 
• Described as “Well written, moving, humorous, emotionally honest” by children’s author David Almond, Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing follows the story of a 12 year old navigating the highs and lows of growing up 
• As well as being an entertaining read, the book will support conversations with children about difficult topics and feelings 

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A new brave, funny and unforgettable adventure book following the story of a 12 year old tackling big changes and feelings is set to delight children and adults alike this winter. 

Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing is a new children’s book created by creative learning charity Mortal Fools, in collaboration with North East creatives including children’s writer and theatre maker Danielle Slade and illustrator Lily Mae Kroese, as well as story development support and resources from Kalmer Counselling. 



The story follows Melva Mapletree, who turns twelve only to be confronted by the chaos of growing up - from unexpected changes in her body to explosive mood swings and more. She navigates these changes with those around her, including her best friend Barnabus, her Grandpa Pebble, and even her annoying teachers.  

As well as being a comforting and entertaining read for children aged 8-13 - and their parents, teachers and carers - the story shines a light on important topics like anxiety, self-image and fitting in, dealing with change, grief, loss and self-harming behaviours, all explored with humour, warmth and sensitivity. 

Acclaimed author David Almond described the book as “Well written, moving, humorous [and] emotionally honest.” The North East-born writer of award-winning children’s fantasy novel Skellig added: “Many children will immediately relate to Melva and her world. I really enjoyed reading this book!”. 

Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing, which is now available to buy from Amazon, is also available as part of Mortal Fools’ wider MELVA school's programme - an innovative digital media intervention designed to improve children’s knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing. 

Kiz Crosbie, Mortal Fools CEO & Artistic Director, commented: “This book is dramatic and entertaining, while also covering some important themes and topics that can sometimes be difficult to talk about.  

“Co-creating it alongside inspiring artists has been a true highlight of my career; I've laughed, I've cried and I've  felt triumphant, as we've crafted this very special book.  I hope our readers enjoy it half as much as we have enjoyed making it.” 

The team developed Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing through feedback from hundreds of children, teachers and parents during its creation.   
Children’s writer and theatre maker Danielle Slade said: “I believe every young person should read this book. It’s Melva Mapletree’s coming-of-age story - one of self-discovery, testing boundaries, and unearthing parts of her past that help her understand who she truly is.  

“It’s been created with North East young people; their worries, thoughts, feelings and wellbeing struggles helped shape the book and our characters. Young readers will recognise themselves in the book, whilst also finding joy, laughter, and a much-needed escape in Melva’s special world.” 

Illustrator Lily Mae Kroese added: “It’s been a joy to illustrate Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing. Children and young people's emotions are important, and I hope that capturing these big feelings in illustrations helps validate, celebrate and support them. I hope our readers love the story, the illustrations and the world we’ve built together.” 

Melva Mapletree and the Great Undoing is now on sale priced at £9.99 - to learn more about the book, go to https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melva-Mapletree-Great-Undoing-Mortal/dp/1919206604/. 

A North East creative learning charity has secured a six-figure investment from the foundation of a multinational brand to support children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing.
 
Award-winning theatre, drama and creative learning charity Mortal Fools has secured funding of NOK3,000,000 - approximately £215,000 - from Kavli Trust, the foundation arm of the parent company of popular cheese brand, Primula, to develop its high-impact work supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Mortal Fools have developed a range of creative projects as new and pioneering alternative responses to tackling the mounting children's mental health crisis in the UK, including increasing referrals being made for young people to statutory services and anxiety-based conditions continuing to rise year-on-year.

The funding from Kavli Trust aligns with the growing UK policy recognition of creative health as a vital tool to tackle this challenge, including the establishment of a Creative Health All Party Parliamentary Group last year.

This is the second round of grant funding that Mortal Fools has received from Kavli Trust, who prioritise supporting projects that enhance children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing as part of their global approach to supporting the furtherance of human rights. This ongoing support will enable Mortal Fools to further develop three areas of their work:  
 
MELVA Digital - an award-winning creative digital programme that improves key stage 2 children's mental health knowledge and practical self-management techniques through multi-media storytelling and has already reached 11,000 young people in 130 educational settings.
 
This new funding will support the addition of an illustrated novel to the programme for 2025-26 and new resources for key stage 1, its expansion across the Northeast region and using the programme and its data as a powerful advocacy tool to lobby for policy change and further investment.
 
The development of their Wellbeing Practice Guide & Evaluation Toolkit into an online digital programme, accessible to users across the UK. The programme is structured to the ratified PERMA™ Framework for Mental Wellbeing and is designed to guide settings working with young people to plan, monitor and measure their work in ways that enhance the wellbeing of participants and generates tangible wellbeing impact data.
 
This ongoing commitment will also support the furtherance of Mortal Fools’ expertise in the field of Creative Health, with a particular focus on work in co-creation and applied interventions e.g. in schools to support transition and prevent absenteeism.
 
The funding will also support the development of Mortal Fools’ national profile and reputation as a leader in the field of Creative Health for children and young people.