Comic Relief is pouring funds in to relieving the stigma of suffering from mental health problems for millions.

Campaign group Time To Change is picking up £20 million of combined funding from the comics and the government.

Comic Relief will contribute £4 million, the second time the charity has awarded its largest UK grant to the group.

The money will be spent on a campaign to ease discrimination against those suffering from mental health issues.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: “One in four of us will experience some form of mental health problem during our lives. Unfortunately, people often have to cope with stigma and discrimination alongside their condition, in their families, their classrooms and their work places.

“Time to Change is already making a big difference. Coping with a mental health condition is difficult enough without the added burden of overcoming discrimination too. That’s why I am committing up to £16 million over the next three and a half years to Time to Change to help fight the negative attitudes people have towards mental health conditions.”

Time to Change runs events and campaigns to help young men and women pick up new skills and improve their mental health and confidence, while campaigning to change public behaviour towards people with mental health problems.

Comic Relief Chief Executive, Kevin Cahill, said: “Comic Relief has a long standing commitment to helping people with mental health problems across the UK and has been working on this particular campaign since 2007.

“Four years on, we’re really starting to see some positive results – but we understand change takes time, and this next phase of the campaign will build on the success to date and the important lessons we have learned so far.

“All too often people with mental health problems are blighted by the prejudice, ignorance and fear that surround it and Comic Relief is committed to working with Time to Change to overcome this.”