MP launches South Cumbria youth mental health services review

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has launched a new group to try and tackle mental health issues, especially for young people in our community.

The group which brings together a wide array of local expertise, will have its first meeting on the 11th November. The committee will be chaired by Glenys Marriott, who has held senior roles within health and social care, chaired a major teaching hospital and worked for the Department of Health. She is currently Chair of South Cumbria Branch of Headway - the brain injury association.

Also agreeing to Tim's request to serve on the group are: Zoe Butler who works for Inspira as a Young Adviser for South Lakeland and John Asher who leads Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide locally. John has a long involvement in working with mental health charities in Cumbria.

One in four adults in Britain will experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year. The group is urging the public and frontline professionals to share their stories and have asked people to email at marriottglenys@gmail.com or tim@timfarron.co.uk or call 01539 723403.

This group will work in cooperation with the statutory groups which are currently in force: The County Council Health and Wellbeing Board, the Cumbria NHS Partnership Trust governor's review group and the County-wide suicide prevention reference group led by the Acting Director of Public Health. The group will work and contribute verbally and in writing to on-going reviews and enhance the understanding county wide of these enormous pressures on young people, whilst also publishing its own findings.

Tim said: "I regularly hear from constituents who have major problems with mental health services or people who don't get the support they need. Some of the worst cases are the ones that affect young people - I am committed to try and do whatever we can to make it better. I hope that this review group will help us tackle those challenges and lay out a plan to improve services for young people and tackle the issues of funding and provision, so that everyone gets the care and support they deserve.

"I am asking young people with experiences of mental health services, staff and parents to please do get in touch with us. We want to make the service better and I hope with the community's help we can."