With children living in such a pressurised world it’s becoming increasingly important to look after their mental health.

A new project for BAME children who have experienced trauma is one that will be started thanks to millions of pounds of new funding.

Schools, councils and the NHS in south west London came together to successfully bid for £4.3m of extra funding for mental health services for young people.

The money, as well as £1.85m received last year will mean health support teams will be able to help 81,000 children, up from 25,000.

Clinical lead for the programme Dr Andrew Murray said: “Working more closely with schools has completely changed the way we look at improving the mental health of our young people.

“The pressures they live with are growing and changing and we have to adapt to support them. I continue to be inspired by the enthusiasm of the schools involved and the dedication to the wellbeing of their pupils.”

Some of the money will be used to expand existing mental health teams in schools in Croydon, Kingston and Richmond.

One of the schools is St Mary’s Catholic High School in Croydon.

Headteacher Patrick Shields said: “In an increasingly pressurised society, it’s really important we support young people with their mental health.

“At St Mary’s we are focusing on improving emotional wellbeing and this additional resource means our families and pupils will have access to more direct help from qualified professionals.

The funding has come from the government and will include a range of projects in different parts of south London.

In Croydon, work on reducing serious youth violence will take place in schools while early intervention services for children with special needs will be introduced at special schools in Merton and Sutton.

And in Wandsworth young people from BAME backgrounds who have suffered trauma will get extra support.

The South West London Care and Health Partnership covers Croydon, Sutton, Merton, Kingston, Richmond and Wandsworth.