Young campaigners are taking their mental health concerns to Westminster next week.

This is National Mental Health Awareness week and the most vigorous campaigners for increased resources have been the We Will group, comprising teenagers from Maryport and Cockermouth.

Now the teens have been invited to meet Jackie Doyle-Price, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention.

The meeting has been organised by Workington MP Sue Hayman and will give the young people the chance to highlight concerns about the shortfalls in youth

mental health provision in their local area.

"We want young people and young people’s mental health to be taken seriously and are demanding urgent action," a spokesman said.

The teenagers have produced short films highlighting mental health issues in youth and how to recognise and help those suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts.

We Will came together in 2017 with the support of The Ewanrigg Local Trust.

The most important aspect of these films is it gives people of all ages an insight into depression, mental ill health and suicidal thoughts in young people.

It shows clearly how not to deal with this as well as how to offer support.

"Just listen" is one of their clearest messages, appealing to peers, parents and authority to do just that - to be willing to listen without judgement.

Disillusioned by waiting lists of up to 18 months for mental health help in this area and

devastated by the affects of this on friends and families, they have been actively campaigning to change the way that mental health is being dealt with in their families, their schools, their communities – and on a national level.

They have conducted 18 months of research gathering information from MPs, GPs, social workers, CAMHS, commissioners, teachers, families and their peers.

They have been trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid and have encouraged over 300 other people to take up the training.

While they continue campaigning on the wider scale, they have worked within their schools and communities to make practical changes.

They have received local, national and international media attention for their campaign and have also won several awards for their efforts.

Their ultimate goal is to help Maryport become a youth mental health first aid trained town.

They want to train young people in film making skills to a professional standard and to make films that help improve youth mental health.

They aim to create and deliver a communications campaign that informs young people of the help that is available to them and how to access it

Kate Whitmarsh, Development Officer for We Will said:, “Every teacher, health professional, parent and young person we speak to in West Cumbria is saying the same thing; that our youth mental health system is broken and is failing our young people. This extraordinary group of young people will not stop until urgent change happens.”

As well as the support of their community, schools and peers the group have also gained the backing of the North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, Cumbria County Council, the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and the Bishop of Carlisle.