PRIME Minister Theresa May has met with teenagers taking part in activities at a Powys outdoor education centre.
The PM launched a new course intended to raise awareness of mental health among young people developed by the National Citizens Service (NCS).
Teenagers following the NCS programme, who have this week been taking part in adventure activities at the Woodlands Outdoor Education Centre in Glasbury-on-Wye, met with the PM who also saw some of the activities such as climbing, abseiling and team building exercises.
During the visit Mrs May and the teenagers, who are all from England, discussed mental health issues and a pressing problem at the centre on the edge of the village – the lack of mobile phone signal leaving them cut adrift from the internet.
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The visit was timed to coincide with A Level results day to raise awareness of mental health among young people. Downing Street said mental health issues disproportionately affect young people, with over half of mental health problems starting by the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 18.
Former PM David Cameron launched the NCS as a programme for teenagers on the cusp of adulthood in England to take part in new experiences and challenges and to put skills they’ve learnt into social action projects in their local communities.
One teenager told Mrs May who she’d been involved in a mental health project as part of the NCS.
Mrs May asked her: "Did you do that as a project because you felt it is a relevant issue for young people?"
The girl said it was because people either had personal experiences or knew someone who had./
Mrs May said she felt young people in Wales would benefit if the Welsh Government opted to run the programme on this side of the border.
"I think it’s really important what I’ve seen today, the National Citizens Service, and the advantages it gives to young people. Of course that isn’t available to young people in Wales because the Welsh Assembly has chosen not to do it, it’s up to them to make that decision.
"But I say to members of the Welsh Assembly come and talk to young people who’ve been involved in the National Citizen Service and you will hear the great benefits that they feel from it.
"It helps to build self-esteem, resilience, confidence and that is important in dealing with mental health."
The Woodlands Centre, which has been operating for more than 50 years, was previously run by Oxfordshire County Council but since last October has been part of Groundwork South Trust.