CAMPAIGNERS say more needs to be done to support young girls struggling with their mental health during lockdown.

Rites for Girls, a mentoring charity based in East Grinstead, say girls across Sussex are reporting increased anxiety during pandemic because of restricted social contact, interrupted schooling and uncertainty over the future.

The charity says it is launching a six-week online programme named The Girls’ Net, which aims to help girls deal with change to help to combat what it calls a “mental health crisis”.

Kim McCabe, founder of Rites for Girls, said: “The Girls’ Net programme is designed to support whether your daughter is about to start a new school or is struggling with anxiety about growing up and the impacts of the pandemic.”

The first 100 places will be offered for free after the charity secured Lottery funding and further paid places , for girls between the ages of eight and 18,will be made available in September.

The programme is made up of six on-line sessions, which last for 75 minutes.

Each session will cover topics such as how to develop new friendships, practicing self-care and how to transition from primary to secondary school, or from school to university.

In between the sessions, the girls will be able to work from, and refer to, an interactive notebook to prompt further exploration of each week’s topic.

Women across the country have been trained to offer the Girls’ Net groups online. Groups will be guided by a fully trained Girls’ Net Mentor.

Girls’ Net Mentor Karen Abi-Karam, said: “I’m delighted to be bringing Girls’ Net to Sussex.

“By the end of the programme, girls will have some down-to-earth tools for managing their emotions and will have benefited from a shared experience of non-judgemental support.”

Parents and carers can apply via the Rites for Girls website at: www.ritesforgirls.com/girls-net.