Young people across Lancashire who are in need of a listening ear could soon find it in the most unlikely of places – the school toilet.

Or at least that is where they will see a poster pointing them towards the support they might be seeking if they have found themselves in a time of a crisis.

The idea was generated by school pupils in Wyre and has proved such a success that it is now set to be rolled out to every corner of the county.

Young people will be able to find details of organisations that can offer help with a range of issues, especially those which can affect their mental health.

Nathan Halford, from Garstang, was the town’s youth mayor when the project got off the ground two years ago – and it was personal experience that prompted him to ensure that teenagers had somewhere to turn to when they needed it most.

“I sadly lost a friend who took his own life around that time,” recalls Nathan, who is now 18.

“I wish there had been someone for him and others like him to talk to when they were in need.   A lot of young people keep things on their mind and don’t get it off their chest.”

The sense of shock caused by his friend’s death left Nathan himself in search of support – but looking in vain.

“It was a few days before my birthday when it happened and it hit me quite hard.   But there was nowhere I could really turn to during that grieving period

“There was a group of us who got the bus to school together in Lancaster and it was so sad,” adds Nathan.

He says that his involvement in the project made him realise how many organisations exist to help young people – not just those who may be contemplating taking their own life, but dealing with all kinds of “hard times”.

The support services on offer vary from one part of Lancashire to another – and now that the poster is to be seen beyond the borders of Wyre, local versions will be created containing the relevant numbers for each district, as well as the standalone council areas of Blackpool and Blackburn.

For Mid-Rossendale county councillor David Foxcroft, who seconded the motion to expand the scheme, the need for somewhere to turn is one to which he can relate from his own teenage years. He told fellow members at County Hall that he went through a tough time at secondary school after realising that he “didn’t like girls”.

“We have been incredibly fortunate in how much our country has moved forwards over recent years and how we are more accepting, tolerant and understanding – but there is still a long way to go.

“Every single child [should] know exactly where to go, so they do not have to continue to suffer alone, [with] nobody to tell them that they are normal – because actually normal does not exist.   So whatever you are, it is absolutely normal – and you are 100 percent unique, valued and cared for as a person in our society,” County Cllr Foxcroft said.

With the group’s work now poised to be plastered across the doors and walls of school toilets throughout Lancashire, that ambition looks likely to be far exceeded – giving pupils who go to spend a penny,the chance to find support which is priceless.