Children and young people can access free online counselling every day and throughout the school holidays.

XenZone’s Kooth service, commissioned in Hertfordshire, gives everyone aged ten to 25 access to free online counselling and emotional wellbeing support every day and throughout summer holidays.

Kooth is anonymous and free and online counselling is available to users through instant chat messaging from 12noon until 10pm on weekdays and from 6pm until 10pm at weekends.

Self-help materials, messaging, mood tracking and other support features are available anytime.

Kooth’s team of qualified counsellors and support workers provide guided and outcome-focused support for each individual.

XenZone’s chair and founder Elaine Bousfield said, “Children and young people can feel unsupported over the school holidays.

"They don't have the usual networks of support they can access in school and so its extra important that we ensure they can find professional help when and if they need it, so that concerns and worries don’t fester and grow.

"Kooth and our Kooth counsellors are available throughout the summer holidays – and every day – for those who need mental health support.”

Last Summer, from June to August, over 11,500 young people registered to use Kooth throughout the 80 Clinical Commissioning Group areas covered by the service.