A PIONEERING team from Maldon are hoping to tackle depression in children with a new scheme to help primary schools.

Amazing Me has been put together by Seahorse Education Partnerships, which is based in the town.

The digital programme aims to help children identify stress and anxiety and ways to deal with it.

The programme was put together over an 18-month period with the help of experts working in psychology, child trauma and education.

It has already been trialled in a number of schools and is now set to start being used in September.

Kelly Bishop, who is one of three directors at Seahorse, said: “Mental health is hugely under-funded, misunderstood and under-represented.

“Introducing concepts of kindness, gratitude, compassion, strengths and self-compassion to children at an early age means their minds will be happier, safer places for the rest of their lives.

“We launched the digital programme at an event in July in Chelmsford and since then we have been approached by professionals from the positive psychology world who would like to further develop our ideas with us.”

With the Amazing Me project still in its infancy, Seahorse is encouraging businesses across Essex to get involved with the scheme and help to fund the cost of the digital programme.

Ms Bishop recently completed the Ride London 100 miles cycle ride in order to secure funding for Writtle Infant School to use Amazing Me.

She added: “I hope that my efforts to bring this programme to my local school will inspire others.

“We have just set up an Amazing Us Campaign where we appeal to businesses to join us and connect with their local schools by providing funding or part funding for Amazing Me.

“We have already been approached by three companies and we are in the process of matching them with schools so they are able to start Amazing Me in September.”

To find out more information about Amazing Me, visit www.seahorsed.com.