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YOUNG people in Glasgow will now have access to round the clock mental health support after the launch of a new website.

Big White Wall is an online community where people aged 16 to 18 in the city will be able to turn at times they are feeling down.

Trained professionals are available 24/7, and there’s a choice of safe therapeutic services, including online self-help courses.

This means anyone who may be struggling can get support at a time that suits them, from the comfort of their own home.

Big White Wall has already helped more than 180,000 people, including thousands from the UK Armed Forces community, which is supported by the Ministry of Defence, and Help for Heroes

One Big White Wall member said: “I feel that the support given by BWW is fantastic.

"You are not judged, and you can be yourself. Most of us are very good at hiding our feelings.

"This is the only place I have felt comfortable in expressing myself.”

The idea to introduce the scheme in Glasgow came from Barry Syme, City Principal Psychologist.

He said: "Big White Wall came to our attention after one of our Employability Principal Officers attended an open day at Glasgow Kelvin College and saw it in operation as they were using this online service to support students.

"Following a discussion with Education Directorate we agreed that this support service would be ideal for helping our students in S4 to S6 in Glasgow, particularly around anxiety and exam stress.

"The major factor that we really liked was that this is a supervised and moderated clinical service, if a young person posts anything inappropriate or risky then the Wall Watchers can intervene and either redirect the post or remove anything unsuitable."

Big White Wall is now available for all residents 16+ for free in Glasgow funded by Glasgow City Council Education Services.

Anyone who lives in Glasgow and is 16 years to 18 years can go to www.bigwhitewall.com and enter their postcode to join.

Some 70 per cent of members report feeling better as a result of using Big White Wall.

One member, who had been working in a stressful environment, said: “I was always the strong one, but when I was signed off with work-related stress, I thought I was a failure.

"On logging in to Big White Wall, I wasn’t alone anymore.

"I’ve been using it for a year now, and I’m recovering and back at work.

"I’m truly grateful for Big White Wall.”

Another member reported: “I started using it at a time of crisis. I was finding it difficult to manage my distress.

"Using the site has helped me reduce anxiety, stress and feelings of isolation, enabled me to feel connected to others who have emotional issues, and given me an opportunity to be part of a helping community.”

When a new member joins www.bigwhitewall.com they create a username, which does not identify them and the service is completely anonymous.