A Southampton-based charity has said they want to offer hope to young people after seeing a significant rise in the number of mental health referrals in children.

No Limits offers free information and advice to young people aged five to 25 across Hampshire, with both youth workers and counsellors on hand to help with a range of issues including mental health, housing, and homelessness.

The charity’s latest impact stats show enquiries from concerned families increased across all issues over 2023/24 – with No Limits receiving 2,749 enquiries in all – a 20 per cent increase on the previous year.

No Limits recorded 553 safeguarding concerns to do with young people’s mental health and an additional 236 regarded personal safety.

Speaking to the Echo, Liz Lea, therapeutic services manager at the charity, said: “Mental health, low mood, anxiety – those are the main issues affecting a lot of young people.

“When asked, a lot of young people say social media, lack of exercise, and lack of sleep are the biggest contributing factors.

“A lot of people have felt isolated and feel lonely – in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the knock-on effect that’s had. A lot of young people are having to relearn how to live, as many spend their time on screens in a world that’s not real.”

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No Limits in Southampton (Image: Three7Evens) With an increased use for the charity’s services in the last year, Liz said No Limits aims to “offer hope in a hopeless situation".

“I think the most serious problem is a lack of funding in children’s mental health support,” she said.

It comes as the government planned to spend £1.1bn on children and young people’s mental health services across 2023/24, compared with £2.3bn for adults.

Liz added: “The difference in funding between adults and children is huge.

“If problems can be spotted in the first phase, it has a lasting impact, and we have the skillsets in order to be able to help with that.”