A project to improve the mental health and wellbeing of hundreds of children in Ellesmere Port is to receive a £10,000 funding boost from Liberty Group.

The initiative is run by Healthbox Community Interest Company (CIC).

The funding means Healthbox can extend its existing adult counselling service in Ellesmere Port to offer it to more than 800 children.

Liberty Group, which provides high-quality property services, has granted the funding as part of its commitment to investing in communities and improving people’s lives.

The project will kick start in September and will provide counselling and workshops to Whitby Heath Primary School, Rossmore Primary School and Westminster Primary School.

Schools will be able to choose from workshops on a range of topics from tackling bullying to yoga and mindfulness for pupils. Where needed family counselling sessions will also be offered.

Teachers will attend a mental health first aid course to help them better recognise the signs of poor mental health in people and how best to support them.

Recent statistics demonstrate the high demand for mental health services for young people in the area. Close to 3,600 children aged 5-10 in Cheshire have a mental health disorder.

In Ellesmere Port children are up to 50% more likely to have a mental health disorder such as anxiety and depression than in other parts of Cheshire.

Steve Parrington, managing director of construction at Liberty, said: “We know that young people’s mental health services play an important role but services are stretched.

“That’s why we are delighted to enable Healthbox CIC to offer their counselling services and workshops to hundreds of school pupils in Ellesmere Port who need this extra support.”

Simon Sandford, director - Healthbox CIC, said: “We have seen the benefits of our adult counselling service in the local area and are delighted to be able to extend this to support the mental health needs of children and families across Ellesmere Port.

“Mental health support is always more beneficial as a preventative rather than offered as an intervention at a later date and we are excited to integrate this service into local schools.”

The funding from Liberty has been made possible thanks to a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with builders’ merchants Travis Perkins.

The firm’s spending with Travis Perkins builds up a rebate which Liberty then designates to fund specific projects to benefit local communities.

Liberty is an award-winning property services firm, specialising in repairs and maintenance, gas services and construction projects. It supplies over a quarter of a million homes with property services.