Halton youth to train MH champs
HALTON’S Youth Cabinet (HYC) has secured funding to train 12 mental health champions – two for each high school in Runcorn and two for HYC members.
The Community Foundation’s Alfred Shaw Trust Fund has awarded £1,395 for the pilot scheme, which will be rolled out to include Widnes if it proves to be a success.
Its launch is in response to high school students’ answers given during the Make Your Mark survey.
A Halton Borough Council spokesman said around 400 pupils picked mental health as their most important issue.
The ‘champions’ will complete mental health first aid training over four days when the programme starts in March.
It is hoped their presence will boost the profile of emotional wellbeing in schools as and provide peer support and details of where to find professional help and advice.
The programme is open to students in Runcorn high schools. ●
Cllr Tom McInerney (children, young people and families) said: “All credit to the young people for addressing this need among their peers.”
For more information and to apply for a place on the Mental Health Champions programme, email Matthew Walker on matthew.walker@ haltonyc.com or call Young Addaction on 01928 240 406.