An arts and education charity has been recognised as ‘hugely successful’ in a university study this week.

Zinc Arts in High Street, Chipping Ongar, created ArtsZone, which measures the impact and benefits of using the arts to promote positive mental health in young people, following a £120,000 grant by Comic Relief in 2011.

In the report, undertaken at Anglia Ruskin University by Dr Darren Sharpe of the Childhood and Youth Research Institute, 91 per cent of young people said they found Zinc Arts’ creative arts activities helped them deal with their problems better.

The study also noted a significant increase in the positive mental wellbeing of those involved.

Programme Manager at Zinc Arts Sonia Cakebread said: “‘ArtZone’ is about giving these young people a safe, supportive environment to be themselves, using high quality arts activities as a vital tool for building confidence and self-esteem, and we’ve seen it have a huge impact on their wellbeing.”

“We’ve worked with wonderful young people, all of whom had poor mental health. 

“We’re thrilled with the outcomes this amazing programme has had.”