Manx Minds will provide half-day mental health awareness courses to sixth form students across the island’s schools.

The company gives training to people to better care for their mental wellbeing and aims to break down the stigma surrounding mental health.

Manx Minds worked with teachers and mental health ’leads’ from several island high schools before launching the initiative with Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson and Emmet McQuillan, managing director of sponsor Tower Insurance.

Ali Vondy, of Manx Minds, said: ’To be able to deliver a half-day mental health awareness course, to a cohort of 25 students from each of the high schools and University College Isle of Man is amazing.

’This will allow the students to recognise peers who may be struggling, be armed with the tools to help their friends who may disclose mental health issues to them and then know how to refer on for further help.

’We are truly thankful to Tower Insurance for their kind support of this initiative.’

The courses will run over the autumn term. They follow on from teachers at the island’s secondary schools, including University College Isle of Man, wanting to offer accredited training to pupils.

Josie Corrin, director of pastoral care at Ramsey Grammar School, added: ’The support from Tower Insurance will make a huge difference to an ever-growing problem in schools today and one which is always raised by school councils, on an annual basis, as pupils recognise the issues and want to help.’

Education Minister Dr Allinson applauded the work of the teachers in tackling mental health and wellbeing and recognised that this initiative will work well with the government’s strategic plan for mental wellbeing going into the future.