A PONTELAND student is fighting to shake off the taboo that still surrounds mental health and introduce the subject into schools.

George Hunter met senior members of local charity Tyneside and Northumberland Mind to discuss mental health support for young people in the region.

Having experienced mental illness in his own family, George feels mental health education should be taught from middle school age onwards.

He met chief executive of Tyneside and Northumberland Mind Stuart Dexter, trustee vice-chair Oliver Wood and mental health youth coach Tina Hilpert to discuss the issue.

He said: “The main reason I started with this was that my mum had mental health issues. “Almost all of it was because when she was younger she didn’t have a great upbringing and it affected her in later life.

“Mental health is extremely important and we should all be aware and taught how to take care of our own mental health alongside our physical health.

“Being mental health aware can help build and strengthen a young person’s resilience to help them cope with exams and relationships and to know when they need to ask for help and support.”

In 2014, George (18) launched a ‘My Tie Diary’ campaign to raise awareness of mental health and his family has helped raise thousands of pounds for Mind.

The sixth form student will leave for university next year and hopes to leave a legacy of mental health support for young people in his wake.

George, school president at Ponteland Community High School, said: “There is no advice given in school on mental health; I would like to leave some signposting so if people have problems, they know where to go for help or someone to talk to.”

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind is responsible for setting its own programme of services and receives no funding directly from national Mind or the Mind shops.

The organisation has seen demand for its services soar in recent years at a time when charitable funding is becoming more difficult to secure.

It has services across the area, including Safe Space in Hexham.

Mental health youth coach Tina Hilpert said: “We’ve found that there is a lot information in schools about where to go for help about drugs, alcohol and sex, but a lot less for mental health.”

Mr Dexter added: “With one in 10 children having a diagnosable mental health problem at any time and the origin of half of adult problems being traceable to childhood, this is an area of work we are keen to expand on.

“We’ve been piloting a group in North Shields called Headspace for young people and we’re hoping to roll that out and do more school work so we can engage with people earlier,” he added.

“George and his family have been really supportive in our work and have been great with fund-raising.”