A YOUNG woman from Devon is hoping to do her part to tackle mental health stigma by volunteering in Sri Lanka.

Cheyenne Roberts grew up in the area and attended Cullompton Community College, before studying occupational therapy at Oxford Brookes University.

Now she has finished her degree and wants to put it to good use, but to do that, she needs help from her local community.

In December, Miss Roberts will be volunteering for an organisation called Sri Lankan Volunteers (SLV) taking part in a mental health placement.

She will be working at an array of places during her placement including a psychiatric hospital and a rehabilitation centre.

Miss Roberts said: "Since an early age I have always known I wanted to work within mental health.

"My passion grew when I was at school during a subject called personal health and social education. We learnt about common mental health illnesses, and the prevalence of them.

"I was forever intrigued after this, knowing that one in four individuals in the UK will develop a mental health illness at some point during their life made me question why it is not spoken about as much as physical health.

"I remember in my spare time watching videos and reading blog posts about what people diagnosed with schizophrenia or bi-polar had done about their journeys."

Miss Roberts needs to raise as much money as possible to be able to complete this placement, her target is £1,000.

She added: "The individuals that I will have the pleasure to work with will be experiencing various mental health problems.

"Many of these individuals will have psychosocial needs due to being trauma sufferers for example; tsunami survivors and people who have experienced civil-conflict.

"Mental health systems within the UK are progressing however, still many face stigma on a regular basis.

"These facilities are still far more developed than those in Sri Lanka, there are limited resources and many of the citizens have to deal with the emotional and mental scars left by the brutal 25 year civil war and the devastating effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami."

To help Miss Roberts provide mental health services for those in need in Sri Lanka, visit her donation page: https://pledgie.com/campaigns/32294 .