Chimo Trust CIO

The Trust funds innovative non-clinical interventions that use arts, nature, and sport to improve youth mental health. This includes activities such as art therapy, sports mentoring, and nature immersion, combined with structured psychological support from professionals or peers. Chimo supports project delivery and capacity building within organisations that demonstrate robust evidence of effectiveness and a clear ambition to scale. The Trust operates across the whole of the UK, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and prioritises projects serving young people who are underserved by statutory services. It seeks to build a cohort of charities that share best practices.

Chimo Trust exclusively funds UK-registered charities. It looks for organisations that can demonstrate robust evidence of effectiveness, ambition to scale, and a willingness to share best practices within its network. The Trust prioritises charities serving young people aged 11–25 who are underserved by statutory services, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It does not restrict applicants by religious context. Charities should be of a scale that allows them to take on multi-year, project-focused partnerships.

Chimo Trust does not fund primary talking therapies, general youth work, capital costs, or unrestricted funding. It also does not support applications that lack a clear focus on non-clinical mental health interventions for young people aged 11–25. The Trust's model is highly targeted, so it excludes activities that fall outside its thematic niche of arts, nature, and sport-based approaches.

The Trust works by invitation, with proactive trustee involvement. It makes multi-year commitments to support project delivery and capacity building. Chimo takes a data-driven, engaged approach, selecting charities that are willing to collaborate and share best practices within its network. It does not accept unsolicited applications.