Dr Alex George has shared his delight after £79million was approved by the government for youth mental health.
The former Love Island star, 30, shared a snap to Instagram on Friday which saw him beaming a smile while standing near Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
And although celebrating the good news and saying he was so happy ‘he could cry’, Alex also told fans that ‘the work doesn’t end here, this is just the start’.
Great news: Dr Alex George has shared his delight after £79million was approved by the government for youth mental health (pictured with Prime Minister Boris Johnson)
In the snap Alex, who has been campaigning for more mental health provisions since he tragically lost his brother Llŷr to suicide last July, and the Prime Minister looked jubilant as the doctor held up a sign which read £79million.
Alongside a beaming Alex, Boris showcased his pleasure at the decision as he did a large thumbs up gesture with both his hands.
Alex penned: ‘THIS IS A HUGE MOMENT!! I am so pleased to announce that the Government has approved £79 MILLION for YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH!
‘I could actually cry, I have been pushing so hard for this but it couldn’t have happened without the incredible work of everyone involved.
‘I could actually cry!’: The former Love Islander, 30, told fans this was ‘just the start’ as he took to Instagram to mark the announcement
‘This has been a TEAM effort, including incredible individuals such as Claire Murdoch CBE (a hero of mine), Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan as well as the many wonderful charities, organisations and experts involved.
‘Thank you especially to the students, parents and teachers who have made us all stop and listen. You are incredible.’
Alex then continued that there’s still work to be done and gave followers an idea of what the money will be spent on.
He said: ‘Of course this is just one piece of the jigsaw but god is it a step in the right direction.
Thankful: Alex made sure to thank everyone who worked towards the funding and declared ‘I can’t believe we have managed to pull this off’ in several Instagram Stories posts
Praise: Alex was appointed the youth mental health ambassador for the government in February in the wake of his younger brother’s tragic death
‘This funding will accelerate the roll out of Mental Health Support Teams for schools and give our incredible Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service a much needed boost in funding.
‘There will also be an increase in capacity for Eating Disorder Services. Thank you to everyone working in mental health, you are rockstars in my eyes.
‘When I started this journey, I dreamt that we might be able to give young peoples mental health the attention it deserved, I am so so happy that we are making positive moves in the right direction. The work doesn’t end here, this is just the start.’
The £79million to help young people after the pandemic is part of a £500m fund for mental health services, according to the BBC.
Alex became the government’s Youth Mental Health ambassador in the wake of his younger brother Llŷr’s tragic suicide in 2020 at the age of just 19.
In a candid interview for G2 in The Guardian last month, Dr Alex admitted that throwing himself into work has helped him to cope with his brother’s passing, as he still finds it ‘tough’ when he actually stops to think about it.
He said: ‘I think of grief as a little black box in my head. That box, it’s always in the house. You’re not focused on it, but it’s always there.’
The star admitted he had his own struggles with depression while living away from home at university, saying that he gradually isolated himself from others and stopped going outside until his family stepped in.
After some guidance from his parents, Dr Alex said he took up exercise and began eating well and in the span of a month his mental health began to improve.
The star said the due to his work on the NHS frontline during the Covid pandemic he’s become ‘normalised’ by the sight of death but is still spurred on in his promotion of mental health awareness.
After a meeting with Boris Johnson, the star was appointed the youth mental health ambassador for the government.
Siblings:Dr Alex paid tribute to his late brother Llŷr on what would been his 20th birthday on Instagram on Friday (pictured together at Alex’s graduation when Llŷr was 14)
And in a recent interview with MailOnline Dr Alex said he’s been ‘overwhelmed’ by the outpour of support after initially fearing the public’s reaction – and says he’s even been congratulated by the likes of healthy food campaigner Jamie Oliver, 45.
Speaking about the reaction from his parents, he said: ‘They are very proud. We are never going to get over what happened with my brother. To have something positive come from it feels amazing. It really, really does.
‘They’re just proud really that I can do something positive. It isn’t a PR stunt – I want to actually make some changes. The pressure is now on.
‘I didn’t know how people were going to react, obviously there are people that have multiple letters after their name and I’m just someone that wants to help and it sounds cliché but I do just want to be able to do my bit.
‘But I’ve had such overwhelming support from doctors in the area, experts, students and teachers, the general public. Jamie Oliver congratulated me; it’s just amazing.’
If you’ve been affected by this story the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123
Inspiring: Alex has been praised for continuing to work tirelessly on the NHS frontline during the Covid pandemic