About us
Read our story below, or go to Governance & Annual Reports.
The vision for Mercy United Kingdom was launched in 1999 after the Founder and President of Mercy Multiplied, Nancy Alcorn, shared about the work and vision of Mercy whilst speaking at a conference in the UK.
A few years later in 2006, a small team that included Arianna Walker (our CEO) opened the UK Mercy Home to provide a residential Christian discipleship programme for young women with life-controlling issues, such as eating disorders, self-harm and depression.
Between 2006 – 2022* we welcomed hundreds of women through our doors to find restoration and transformation (*click here for more). When asked where they would be if it wasn’t for Mercy UK, 63% said they would probably not be alive today. We knew our approach worked and we knew it could save lives.
But the Home was only for women, and only for those aged between 18-30, and we knew there were more people who needed help.
So we didn’t stop there…
As Mercy UK’s reputation grew, churches began asking us for help, especially in the areas of mental health and pastoral training. So in 2008 we launched training to equip churches in responding to mental health issues in their congregations and communities, and we started speaking a message of hope, healing and freedom to thousands of people at events and conferences across the UK and Europe.
But people need more than speeches, more than one-off training days, more than informative workshops.
So we didn’t stop there…
In 2017 we launched a self-guided workbook called Keys to Freedom, facilitating people to go on an 8-week personal journey of deepening their relationship with God, self and others - learning to live free, and stay free.
Currently, almost 45,000 copies have been sold in the UK, with hundreds of churches using the course as their main discipleship model. Keys to Freedom has been translated into five languages, with our Mercy Beyond Associates now operating in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Faroe Islands and the Isle of Man.
Keys to Freedom is being used more than ever before, with a new online training hub for churches wanting to get started. But we are facing a large-scale mental health crisis, and people need more than a self-guided workbook.
So we didn’t stop there…
Everyone deserves to live in freedom, which is why we want to remove the obstacles and restrictions that stop people from accessing the support they need. In 2023 we launched the Freedom Journey: a 16-week, one-to-one, remote support service for men and women. Every week participants receive 10-hours of therapeutic engagement including one-to-one weekly sessions with an accredited counsellor. Not to mention access to fitness advice, nutritional information or occupational therapy and lifetime access to our dedicated aftercare team.
Find out more about the Freedom Journey →
Now we are turning up the volume! In 2024 we launched the Big Christian Mental Health Campaign to help every Christian navigate the dynamics between faith and mental health. We are breaking the taboo, removing the stigma, and normalising Christ-centred mental health and wellbeing support.
