The past year has been incredibly difficult for everyone to look after themselves with the uncertainty and upheaval caused by COVID-19.  

Children and young people’s lives have been unsettled by school closures and lockdowns which have prevented them from seeing their friends and families and disrupted their routines.  

As part of Children's Mental Health Week, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster, Nickie Aiken has encouraged children and young people who are currently struggling to seek help.  

Commenting also on her work to secure more resources for mental health services, Nickie said,  

It's Children's Mental Health Week, who are both at home online schooling like so many children across the country, I know that they are feeling the effects of the pandemic. They're missing their school friends. They're missing their daily and weekly routines, getting out and about. 

So if you are a young person who is feeling down or a parent or carer of a young person that you're concerned about, then please do reach out for help. You can look up guidance on nhs.gov.uk, or there are plenty of brilliant charities working in this field such as Action for Children, who I met with this week. 

I am lobbying the government for more resources for mental health services for both adults and children. And the Health Secretary has assured me that the government is putting in more resources. So please do seek help if you need it.

Public Health England have also produced a guide for parents and carers looking after young people at the moment which you can find here.