THE MAYOR of London Sadiq Khan has awarded further funding to expand the coverage of Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to include youth clubs, charities working with young Londoners and universities.

The additional funding from the Young Londoners Fund will expand the current programme, managed in partnership by Thrive LDN and Mental Health First Aid England, to increase the number of trained Youth Mental Health First Aiders working with young people across London.

Launched in August 2018, the partnership is on course to ensure that every state-funded primary, secondary school and further education college in London has access to Youth MHFA by 2021. The roll out of coverage to the youth sector will further ensure that young Londoners get the timely support they need when experiencing mental health issues – both in and out of the classroom.

Half of all cases of diagnosable mental illness begin by age 14 and three-quarters by the age of 24. The Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training programme will now ensure that schools and youth settings have access to a trained individual who can recognise the crucial warning signs and symptoms of poor mental health in young people and can guide a young person to the appropriate support.  

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The expansion of the three-year programme continues the Mayor’s drive to help and support children and young people to fulfil their potential, with a particular focus on improving the mental health and wellbeing of all young Londoners.

The additional funding is due to the success of the programme’s first year which saw 101 new Youth MHFA Instructors trained during 2018/19, who went onto deliver training to more than 1,300 education staff across every London borough.

The mayor said: “The health and wellbeing of young Londoners is crucial to our city’s future success and supporting good mental health is a key part of that. That’s why we are expanding the Youth Mental Health First Aid programme beyond the classroom, so that we can support even more children and young people.

“I launched the Young Londoners Fund to empower young people to fulfil their potential and live safe, happy and healthy lives, and this extended support will ensure that no young person has to face issues with their mental health alone.”