BEING able to strike early to help young people who may have mental health problems is highly important.

Peter Grant, MP for Kinglassie and Cardenden, is supporting a campaign by Royal Mail to raise awareness of mental health issues amongst young people.

Royal Mail Group has teamed up with Action for Children to work with teenagers who are at risk of developing depression and other mental health issues.

The partnership aims to raise £2 million for a preventative, school-based mental health programme for 15-18 year olds across the UK.

Royal Mail are focused on promoting mental good mental wellbeing given that mental ill health is one of the leading causes of illness amongst their workforce.

This year, 200,000 schoolchildren from across the UK took part in the Royal Mail’s stamp designing competition, with the winners’ designs being displayed on postage stamps this festive season.

Peter attended a Parliamentary reception to see the winning designs and learn more about the campaign.

Commenting, Peter said: “Royal Mail’s partnership with Action for Children is helping to break the stigma around mental ill health amongst young people so they feel able to talk about mental health problems as easily as they can physical ones.

"The more we can do to encourage young people to open up and talk about their state of mind to those around them, the more likely we are to prevent mental health problems from manifesting in later life and leading to workplace absence.

“Christmas can be a particularly lonely time of year which can exacerbate mental ill health for many. If somebody near you will be alone on Christmas Day, how about popping in to see them?"

He concluded: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our posties who go out in all weathers to deliver our mail. Mustering up the motivation to get up in the dark early hours and pace the streets in the Scottish weather is no mean feat – hats off to our posties for all their hard work.”