THOUSANDS of Oxfordshire teenagers will receive training on mental health awareness, the Prime Minister Theresa May has announced in the Oxford Mail today.

Writing exclusively for the paper, Mrs May has announced a new National Citizen Service (NCS) course as part of a £1bn commitment to the programme which sees young people raise money for charity.

Since it was first launched by former Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron, 4,000 16 to 17-year-olds across the county have taken part in the national scheme, raising money for charities by taking part in team-building activities and community projects.

With A-Level results being announced today, Mrs May will also meet with youngsters from across Oxfordshire to discuss the issue of mental health.

The Prime Minister said the NCS will provide a dedicated mental health awareness course for its teenagers. Mental health training for more than 10,000 frontline staff to boost support and a new network for NCS graduates will also be introduced.

Funding will come from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Theresa May's article in full:

Mental health issues can affect anyone, at any time in their life.

But sadly young people are affected disproportionately, with studies showing that more than half of mental health problems start by the age of 14 and three quarters by18.

That’s why it’s a key priority of mine to make sure that we are doing all we can to break down the stigma attached to mental health issues and give young people the confidence to access help.

All too often young people can struggle with the pressures of modern life - the demands of friendships and relationships, self-esteem issues and getting the exam results needed to get a place in university or the right job can all affect mental wellbeing.

So as teenagers from Oxford and all across the country receive their A Level results today, I’ll be announcing that the government is backing a new initiative to raise awareness of mental health among young people and improve their knowledge of support available.

It will be led by National Citizen Service, which carries out excellent work helping young people forge friendships across social divides and enhance their self-esteem.

And today I’ll be meeting 16 and 17 year olds from across Oxfordshire currently taking part in NCS. I’ll be listening to their views on these important issues and learning how the activities they’ve been involved in are helping them build resilience.

Around 4,000 young people from Oxfordshire have taken part in NCS, which is fully funded ­since the programme started.

Many of the teams this summer have raised awareness and funds for Oxfordshire Mind, the charity they have chosen to support.

Building further on the great work of my predecessor David Cameron, who is chairman of the NCS Trust’s patrons’ board, from next year participants will be able to access a dedicated mental health awareness course, which will be developed with experts and NCS graduates.

There will also be new mental health training for frontline NCS staff and a network of young graduates to champion mental health awareness in their communities.

This new initiative by NCS builds further on our work within classrooms, where secondary school teachers and staff are being trained on how to respond to early signs of mental health problems.

We know that early intervention is vital and I believe NCS can make a real difference in preparing young people here in Oxfordshire for the challenges they may face, as well as giving them the knowledge and confidence to access help when needed.