+Baroness Diana Barran’s role includes encouraging young people to act – and yesterday no encouragement was needed.

The civil service minister was in Maryport to meet We Will, a group of teenagers who have dedicated themselves to fighting for better mental health services for young people across the country and especially in Cumbria.

Their demands to the baroness and Workington MP Mark Jenkinson included the need for anyone in crisis to be seen within four hours and more to be done to reduce waiting lists – which now even extend to counsellors in some West Cumbrian schools.

The minister, MP and representatives from the Cumbria Community Foundation, National Lottery and Government officials gathered to hear the message and to see the moving film the teenagers had made to demonstrate the loneliness and helplessness of depression.

When the minister suggested that youth mental health was not solely a Government problem and asked how the young people felt they could also help, they had plenty of answers.

Their first message was to emphasise the importance of listening – not trying to solve a problem, not judging – but just listening. They spoke about what they have done in local schools, encouraging peer support groups.

Through their efforts several teachers in schools in Cockermouth and Workington have completed youth mental health first aid courses.

They told Lady Barran of the “thousands” of hours of research they have done and the hundreds of people they have reached out to.

They spoke of real-life situations where their own research and experience allowed them to reach out to someone in need and they talked about how they, as a small but very vocal group, have brought youth mental health to the fore.

They told the minister: “Most mental health issues begin before someone turns 18. If it is not addressed then the problem worsens and more will have to be spent on adult mental health.”

Chairman of the Cumbria Community Foundation board, David Beeby, said We Will needed funding to do its work and said this would continue.

Lady Barran has invited the group to the House of Lords.