Andrew Western, the MP for Stretford and Urmston, visited Gorse Hill Studios to chat to young people about mental health provisions. The visit coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week – an annual event that aims to increase the public’s understanding of mental health and how mental health problems can be prevented.

The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 is ‘anxiety’. As part of the campaign, the Mental Health Foundation has published guidance on how to manage and improve feelings of anxiety and prevent them from developing into a more serious mental health problem.

Andrew Western said: “I’m proud to be supporting Mental Health Awareness Week. We know that too many people struggle alone. Everyone deserves support with their mental health and I would encourage anyone to reach out if they are feeling low.

“I visited Gorse Hill Studios, a fantastic youth arts charity in Stretford. Speaking to the young people there, the main issue raised with me was concern over access to mental health services.

“It’s clear that these services have been hammered under this Conservative Government. Labour has a fully-costed plan to give Britain access to world-class mental healthcare.”

When elected into Government, Labour plans to provide world-class mental health provision – guaranteeing treatment within one month. The Party has also pledged to place mental health professionals in every secondary school,  to recruit thousands more mental health professionals and to provide an open-access mental health hub for young people in every community.