On Friday, 4th March, I was invited to visit The Lowdown, an organisation established in Northampton in 1989 which supports young people with mental health conditions.
The Lowdown is a registered charity providing free and confidential Counselling, Emotional Wellbeing, Sexual Health and Support Services for 11-25 year olds in Northampton & surrounding areas, and was shortlisted in the GSK Impact Award 2022
I have long admired their work and have visited a number of times during my time as the Member of Parliament for Northampton North, the last time being in 2017. Indeed, even before being elected as an MP, I was aware of The Lowdown’s excellent service as they provided reports for the legal and justice system on behalf of young people.
I was very pleased to hear how many young people in Northampton they have helped; the impressive dedication from the staff and volunteers has always been very clear. The Lowdown provides a much-needed public service, helping alleviate some of the pressures placed on public health services by mental health complications. We will continue to work together to improve and develop the mental health provision for young people aged 11-19 in Northamptonshire.
Mental Health funding and research is extremely important. In March 2021 the government announced the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan. This ensures that people with mental health difficulties, ranging from severe mental illnesses such as bipolar and schizophrenia, to those with more common mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, will benefit from expanded mental health services backed by £500 million as part of this plan.