£1.5million for Young People’s Mental Health

METRO Charity welcomes the Department for Education's announcement of £1.5million to help train young people to spot the signs of mental health issues - with a timely call for evidence from young people themselves and the subsequent development of peer support pilot schemes.

"We've learnt from running LGBTQ youth groups across southern England that having young people support each other and at the centre of service development is fundamentally key. We are really pleased that the Department is looking to young people to drive this new digital innovation fund.", Dr Greg Ussher, METRO CEO.

"I am delighted to represent METRO Charity on this new advisory group, gathering evidence from young people about their experiences. I look forward to sharing our National Youth Chances research, with responses from over 7,000 young people, highlighting the added pressures faced by LGBTQ young people.", Scott Lupasko, Director of Counselling & Peer Support Services.

METRO's National Youth Chances research found that over half (52%) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or questioning (LGBTQ) respondents report self-harming, either now or in the past and 44% had thought about suicide.

"We know that young people confide in their peers, sharing experiences and looking to each other for support. Encouraging the development of support networks and reducing stigma so that young people feel confident to talk about mental health is vital. We hope that this new funding will help achieve these goals.", Scott Lupasko, Director of Counselling & Peer Support Services.

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