Devon MP marches on with ‘military-style’ mental fitness school scheme

A Devon MP is marching on with his plans for a military-style mental fitness scheme aimed at providing support to school children.

David Reed (Conservative), the MP for Exmouth and Exeter East and a former Royal Marine, received nearly 1,000 handwritten letters from St Peter’s Secondary School in Exeter last year, prompting concerns about what he viewed as a lack of mental health support for young people.
He raised the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions in January, but has opted to take action himself rather than waiting for a solution from government.
“Many of the letters contained deeply personal stories, some describing struggles with anxiety and stress, others referencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts,” Mr Reed said.
“The collective message from the students was clear: mental health issues among young people are increasing, but access to help is limited. 
“Only around a quarter of young people referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) receive treatment. The remaining majority are often left unsupported.”
The MP recently brought together a host of supporters for the scheme, including the Royal Marines, the University of Exeter, Exeter College, various schools, including St Peter’s, and representatives from Capita, to discuss how to progress the idea.
It’s understood that Mr Reed and his team will soon begin work on collating feedback from the meeting to work out how to implement the scheme.
Mr Reed said his goal was to “shift the conversation from mental health to mental fitness”, but stressed it was not aimed at replacing medical support for those who need it.
“But it reframes how we prepare young people to manage challenges before they reach crisis point,” he said.
The MP has worked to bring a range of organisations together, noting that the Royal Marines at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone  had developed an “innovative framework for mental fitness”.
The University of Exeter has been asked to help accredit and evaluate the programme, “ensuring it meets academic and ethical standards while being  measurable and evidence-based”.
Mr Reed said the scheme would be delivered by trained volunteers through corporate partnerships, and that outsourcing giant Capita, which has a significant presence in the region, had already expressed interest in supporting the project through staff volunteering days. 
“The aim is to develop and pilot the course without waiting for central or local government funding,” Mr Reed said.
“This will be achieved by leveraging local partnerships, university expertise, and private sector support.”
Mr Reed said he wanted to put “greater emphasis on mental fitness and resilience”.
“I want to help young people build confidence, develop coping strategies, and strengthen peer support so they can look out for one another well before they reach crisis point,” Mr Reed added.
“We are now well underway in developing a peer-to-peer support network that we hope to trial in local schools.
“My team and I have brought together school leaders, university academics and experts from the Royal Marines to design a programme that is robust, evidence-based and suitable for our young people.
“This work is only the beginning, but it is driven by the voices of hundreds of local pupils who asked for help.”