THE MP for Truro and Falmouth has welcome the news that hundreds of young people across Cornwall will receive support with their mental health thanks to new funding.

Jayne Kirkham MP visited youth services centre Brook Young People in Truro to highlight the great work of youth mental health services.

Brook provides formal group sessions and counselling and outreach to schools, giving free mental health and wellbeing support to 11-24s, assisting young people with a range of issues including low self-esteem, exam worries, financial difficulties, anger, loneliness and isolation, struggling with neurodiversity, school issues, bullying, bereavement, and eating disorders.

Jayne Kirkham MP said: "The people who run our youth provision have often explained to me how their funding often comes from one-off grants or charitable funding and that filling in the endless application forms and finding the next funding pot is a time consuming and stressful way to run a service that is so important.”

“That's why this investment is so important. It funds 4 full-time specialist counsellors and youth workers to provide early support to young people in Cornwall.”

£282,500 of new funding will be allocated from a pot set aside for community-based Early Support Hubs.

NHS data shows that 21 per cent of 8-to-16-year-olds have a probable mental health problem, which has increased 7 per cent since 2017.

Since opening in September 2024, Brook Truro have helped hundreds of young people in Cornwall with counselling sessions, mental health literacy, and advice on sexual health. The hub's sessions help to prevent severe mental illness without the need for a referral or doctor’s appointment.

24 hubs around country will similarly receive funding from the Department of Health, delivering 10,000 more interventions such as group sessions, counselling, therapies, and specialist support over the next twelve months.

Jayne added: "I was pleased to visit Brook Truro who have received over £280,000 from the Department of Health to run their wellbeing hub this year.

“I can really see the benefit of this funding to increase the support available for young people in the Duchy at times in their lives when they may be struggling and prevent bigger issues further down the line. Places like this offer vital lifelines to our young people during the most formative times of their lives."

To find out more about Brook’s wellbeing hub, visit: www.brook.org.uk/regions/cornwall-wellbeing-hub/