Leap Pathways CIC wins High Sheriff Cup at Essex awards ceremony

Chelmsford, Essex – 4th March 2026

The High Sheriff Cup has been awarded to Leap Pathways CIC in recognition of its work supporting vulnerable people across Essex.

The award was presented during the annual High Sheriff’s Awards ceremony held in Chelmsford, which celebrates charities and voluntary organisations helping to reduce crime, support vulnerable people and build safer communities across the county.

Leap Pathways CIC received the High Sheriff Cup along with a grant of £4,320 to support a series of courses for young girls aged 11-15, aimed at improving personal safety and reducing vulnerabilty.

The organisation was recognised for its commitment to helping individuals overcome barriers and develop the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to move forward in their lives.

The High Sheriff’s Awards highlight the vital contribution made by voluntary organisations and community groups across Essex, many of which work directly with those most at risk of becoming involved in crime or anti-social behaviour.

Grants awarded as part of the ceremony are funded through the High Sheriff’s Fund, which supports initiatives that strengthen communities and improve safety across the county.

The High Sheriff’s Awards are organised in partnership with Essex Community Foundation, which manages the High Sheriff’s Fund and distributes grants to organisations tackling issues such as youth vulnerability, exploitation, domestic abuse and community safety.

Why is this course so powerful for the young women in our area?

We wrote the StrongHer & Thriving course because we kept seeing girls hurting quietly. Through our one-to-one work with youth offenders, we met girls who acted tough on the outside while everything inside was chaos. Smiling, laughing, pretending nothing touched them, but breaking underneath. Some were already involved in county lines before anyone intervened. Support was arriving far too late and we wanted to reach them sooner.

This made us step back and dig deeper into what was happening with girls and mental health. What we found wasn’t good.

The 2023 MHCYP report showed that boys and girls aged 8–16 experience similar mental-health struggles but by 17–25, young women are twice as likely to face mental-health problems. To us, that says one thing clearly: we need to reach girls earlier. The same report also showed that 11–16-year-olds with a probable disorder are five times more likely to be bullied in person, and almost four times more likely online. Not because they’re weak but because their sense of self isn’t solid yet. The report also states that 1 in 5 children aged 8–16 now live with a probable mental-health difficulty.

Referrals for counselling are climbing faster than services can respond. Girls wait and a lot never get seen. Meanwhile, anxiety rises, online pressure grows, and confidence falls. The Children’s Society reports wellbeing dropping in girls aged 11–15, the strain is growing, not shrinking.

COVID also had a huge impact and changed everything for teenagers. Studies we read showed anxiety and depression rose in young people generally, but the increase was strongest in girls. Lockdown removed friendships, routine and belonging, all the things that hold girls together socially. When that support disappeared, mental-health problems grew fast.

We are proud to partner with LMAC Group Limited to deliver a clear progression pathway supporting the continued growth of the girls who complete our StrongHer & Thriving programme. At the end of the six-week course, each participant is gifted a Positive Wellbeing Journal to help them continue their journey beyond the sessions.

Throughout the programme, girls demonstrate courage, commitment, openness, and personal growth. The journal acts as a tool to carry that momentum forward — encouraging self-reflection, confidence-building, emotional awareness, and goal setting.

This provides a meaningful next step, allowing them to continue working on themselves independently, strengthen their self-belief, and build positive habits that support long-term wellbeing.

LMAC is also a valued sponsor in delivering our Turning Point programme. To find out more click here.