YMCA has secured £50,000 of funding to deliver mental health training for teachers across Fenland and East Cambridgeshire.

A range of training courses will help schools to identify the social, emotional and mental health needs of young people.

The funding comes amid news that three children in every classroom will suffer with their mental health.

A range of training courses will help schools to identify the social, emotional and mental health needs of young people.

Mental health is a growing concern across the country, with half of young people’s mental health conditions starting before the age of 14.

Ryan Armes, services project manager at YMCA Trinity Group, said: “With an average of three children per class struggling with mental health, our key priority is to strengthen the effectiveness of support for children and young people with mental health concerns, and to prevent issues escalating.

“We’re very grateful to be able to deliver fully funded mental health training in this area.

“We are confident that our training will provide some much needed support to the schools in this area – I’d urge education providers to apply for the funding as soon as possible to make sure that they can benefit from this programme.”

Tricia Pritchard, chair of the Fenland and East Cambridgeshire opportunity area, added: “I am delighted that YMCA is delivering mental health training for opportunity area schools.

“Empowering teachers and school leaders to identify the needs of the children and young people in their care is critical in helping them grasp opportunities and meet their full potential.”

In 2016 the Social Mobility Index found Fenland and East Cambridgeshire as a cold spot for social mobility. As a result, it has been selected as one of 12 Opportunity Areas appointed by the Department for Education to receive a programme of activity, supported by funding, to increase social mobility.

“Part of this funding has been granted to YMCA Trinity Group to deliver mental health services which include both awareness programmes and specialist training.”

YMCA Trinity Group has secured the funding from the Opportunity Area Programme to deliver mental health training to teachers and early years providers.

• For details of courses on offer, education providers can contact YMCA on 01733 373187 or email lisa.smith@ymcatrinity.org.uk.

• This programme will run alongside other mental health support initiatives which YMCA Trinity Group already provides. One of these is Thrive, a mental health mobile app which works to prevent, detect and treat common mental health conditions as early as possible.