A PONTELAND High School student met with the Prime Minister last week to discuss mental health among young people.

17-year-old Alex Elliott-Smith travelled to Powys in South Wales to meet Theresa May, who was there to announce that 100,000 teenagers a year wouldbe given mental health training in order to help them cope with exam pressures and build up their self-esteem.

The training will be delivered as part of the NCS programme for 16 and 17-year-olds.

Alex took park in NCS in 2016 and has since joined the regional NCS youth board.

After giving up their weekends to run mental health stalls in Durham city centre, Alex and her peers at the regional NCS youth board decided to create a brochure in partnership with the If U Care Share Foundation, which addressed the underlying stigma surrounding mental health in young people.

Alex said: “The Prime Minister read the booklet that I helped produce. It was great to see a person of such great influence show interest in issues that affect all generations.

“It was amazing to feel that our work is being recognised on such a big scale and mental health is achieving the attention it needs.”

The team recently received funding from O2 Think Big to print the brochures, with the plan to distribute them at schools across the North-East.

Speaking to the group, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Mental health issues can have a devastating effect on young lives and that’s why making sure young people are fully supported both inside and outside of the classroom is a key priority for me.

“We know that early intervention, along with giving young people the confidence to access support, is key – that’s where NCS plays such a vital role."