Young people’s mental health: New programme launch

• Mental Health UK and Lloyds Banking Group have extended their partnership to a third year
• Lloyds Banking Group colleagues have chosen to support a new programme tackling mental health challenges in young people
• Research shows that one in eight children and young people experience mental health issues. This new programme will aim to equip 14 to 19 year olds with the skills they need to support their mental health

Mental Health UK and Lloyds Banking Group launch a new project to support the mental health of young people as part of their partnership which will continue for an additional year.

Research* shows that one in eight children and young people have experienced a mental health issue in the past year. The charity’s focus for next year, as chosen by Lloyds Banking Group colleagues, will be to look at the main issues affecting young people, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to protect their mental health.

The new programme is a collaboration between 500 young people, 100 teachers and Mental Health UK and will aim to reach over 100,000 young people in schools across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The scheme will help prevent long-term mental health challenges in later years, developing practical resources to provide the skills needed for staying mentally healthy.

Lloyds Banking Group colleagues will be fundraising throughout 2019 for this programme, and customers can get involved by going into their local branch and making a donation.

Achievements of the partnership

The partnership has so far raised over £8 million to support people living with mental health challenges. This new initiative will build on an extensive programme of work delivered by the partnership over the last two years, which includes:

• The launch of the Mental Health and Money Advice Service which was launched in 2017. The first of its kind in the UK, which supports people with both mental health and money problems.
• Over 1,000 people having benefited from specialist telephone support, saving each person an average of £1,000 worth of debt. 200,000 more have made use of the many resources online.
• Training approximately 40,000 Lloyds Banking Group colleagues on mental health, helping them to promote wellbeing in the workplace.
• Creating and distributing a mental health information guide to 5,000 GP surgeries and to 400,000 university students
• Setting up 15 new support groups in isolated communities across the UK, with a further 25 groups due to open by 2020

Brian Dow, Managing Director of Mental Health UK, said:

“This partnership with Lloyds Banking Group has already made a real difference to people’s lives. The extension provides an opportunity to better support the workers, parents and carers of tomorrow, to everyone’s benefit.

“Growing up at any time can be difficult, but driven by changes in society, the economy and technology; young people are currently facing a series of unprecedented challenges. We need to do all we can to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to support and protect their mental health.

“We want to empower them to spot the signs of mental illness early, seek help when needed and look out for their friends who might also be struggling. We also need to shine a light on what is driving an increase in mental illness among young people, to bring about change wherever possible.”

Fiona Cannon, Lloyds Banking Group, said:

“Our partnership with Mental Health UK has achieved so much since 2017 and I am pleased that our colleagues have chosen to support this new programme in 2019. Together we will enable the development of resources for young people, to help prevent longer term mental health challenges by providing support that is required at this crucial early life stage.

Our ambition is to shift mindsets to recognise that we all have mental health, just as we all have physical health, and with the right support we can help our colleagues and customers with mental health conditions to thrive.”

*Research by NHS Digital published in November 2018 found that one in eight of five to 19 year olds had a mental disorder in 2017