Social media ‘should help mental health’
A RACING car company which helped develop one of Britain’s most famous vehicles is being commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque.
The Cooper Car Company won Formula One World Championships in 1959 and 1960 with its innovative car design and played a key role in the development of the modern Formula One car.
The company’s collaboration with the British Motor Corporation (BMC) gave rise to the Mini Cooper, a sporty version of the Mini which famously starred in a chase in
Charles Cooper, with his son John, formed the company at a site in Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, south-west London, in 1947.
A plaque will be unveiled at the former works building, a purpose-built 1950s motor workshop with an unusual curved frontage which is “a striking example of ‘Thunderbirds’ architecture”, English Heritage said.
The unveiling is being attended by vintage Cooper cars and their owners. Mike Cooper, son of John Cooper, said: “The Cooper family are very proud that the Cooper Car Company’s old works in Surbiton has received a blue plaque.” SOCIAL MEDIA giants should give free adverts to mental health services because local providers are failing to reach young people, according to a report.
Some 134,000 young people looked for mental health support online from friends, peers or professionals in the last year, a study by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) found.
However, the RSA said social media appeared to be “a driver of ill health” as users turned to each other in place of seeking help from mental health services. Dr Louise Theodosiou of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said online platforms can be places where young people are able to speak about mental health.