Every Penny Counts: Supporting Mental Health, One Text at a Time

Partnering with Pennies

Over the past year, The Restaurant Group has raised over £260,000 for mental health support service SHOUT through Pennies micro-donations, demonstrating the power of small change to create lasting impact.

By choosing to donate when dining at The Restaurant Group, thousands of customers have contributed to the nationwide mental health lifeline through Pennies’ micro-donations, supporting Shout’s 24/7 text service, offering life-changing help to people in crisis.

Shout is the UK’s first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone struggling to cope. As a fully digital service, Shout has supported more than 1 million people in over 3 million conversations, helping them with issues such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Today, someone reaches out to Shout every 53 seconds, often in moments of crisis and distress.

Through this partnership, Pennies and The Restaurant Group are making sure support is always there, day or night, for people who need it most, like Sophie.

Sophie’s Story

“Texting Shout was one of the easiest forms of support I’ve ever accessed.”

Sophie turned to Shout during a period of overwhelming anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. She found speaking aloud too difficult, but texting gave her the space and safety to express what she was feeling.

“Sometimes you can’t bring yourself to say your thoughts out loud because you’re struggling to understand them yourself. But writing them in a text helped me take that first step.”

For Sophie, the conversation with a Shout Volunteer wasn’t just about being heard, it was a turning point.

“I wasn’t talking to my family or friends because I didn’t want to worry them. But the thoughts I was having were scaring me. A Shout Volunteer gave me the reassurance I desperately needed.”

That single interaction gave Sophie more than support in the moment, it gave her tools for the future.

“’I wrote down a few reminders for when I next felt overwhelmed. It helped to remind me that I didn’t have to face those thoughts alone”

Now, Sophie shares her story to help others take that same first step.

“Shout didn’t judge me. They listened. I’ll never forget how they helped me during a very difficult time.”

The Impact

Thanks to the generosity of customers at The Restaurant Group donating through Pennies, people like Sophie are finding hope. Over £260,000 raised means over 26,000 potentially life-saving conversations had and for someone like Sophie, every donation, no matter how small, can make all the difference.

Just over 8 minutes of micro-donations made by The Restaurant Group customers could help SHOUT fund a conversation with someone in distress, that could save a life.

If you’re struggling, text ‘Shout’ to 85258 for free, confidential support, 24/7.

How you can benefit from Pennies

Contact us today and become part of the Pennies family, where every micro-donation adds up to make a positive difference for charities across the UK and beyond. Let’s work together to make every penny count!