A four-year programme to help young people in Kent overcome mental illness is being launched.

The Headstart Kent programme, funded by Kent County Council, aims to prepare young people for dealing with difficult situations allowing them to overcome increasingly common conditions such as stress and anxiety.

The scheme has won funding from the Big Lottery Fund and KCC has awarded the contract to deliver the programme to the Maidstone and Mid Kent Mind (MMKM) mental health charity.

Between now and 2021 the charity will roll out the programme to Swale, Gravesham, Ashford, Shepway, Canterbury, Thanet, Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling and Dover.

Instructors from MMKM will educate school staff, youth and women’s refuge workers and other volunteers about mental health issues and their prevalence among young people, how to identify signs of stress, anxiety and depression and what to do to help resolve them.

The campaign aims to build a sustainable system over the next few years so that young people have confidence those around them understand their wellbeing, don’t feel overwhelming pressure to achieve and always have someone to talk to.

In February, MMKM ran a successful campaign in Swale schools to highlight mental health issues after receiving an increasing number of requests from youngsters and parents of children living in the area who had self-harmed or attempted suicide.

Julie Blackmore, chief executive of the charity, said: “We’re delighted that the work we have been doing with young people has now been recognised with us being asked to implement a Kent-wide campaign.”

The increasing number of mental health problems among young people has become a major issue nationally, with Prime Minister Theresa May saying earlier this year that she wanted to make sure children and teenagers get the help and support they need and deserve.

For more information go to www.headstartkent.org.uk