About St.Helens Mind
St Helens Mind was founded in 1995 by Martin Griffin, our Honorary President, Trustee Bernard Pilkington, Trustee Jeff Hext and Paul Pennington, former Trustee.
With lots of determination and no funds, they aimed to provide a service for people affected by mental illness. They worked with Mind UK to become affiliated, and a grant of £5,000 from St Helens Council meant an office could be rented in College Street. They then started to get funding on an annual basis to provide the service.
This was run by the same people, who enlisted the help of more volunteers, and the office was run as a Drop-In Centre. A grant from the National Lottery was obtained, a full-time staff member was appointed, and the service grew into a Drop-In and Information Centre.
As legislation and mental health services within the Borough changed, the organisation then moved to Heath Park Lodge, when funding for the Befriending Service started in 2006. We worked very effectively with partner organisations within that building, also taking over the running of the social activity groups formerly provided by a Local Authority Team.
We developed our services there for five years, were based at the Deafness Resource Centre for a year, and in May 2014, moved to Peasley Cross, where we currently have our main office.
We moved into Harry Blackman House, Peasley Cross, at the end of May 2014, which is the base of the Mental Health Recovery Team. We felt this was a really positive move. Referrals to the service have increased, and there is much more collaborative working which in turn gives a better service to our clients.
Our move to a secondary office at the Mansion House site brought with it many opportunities for development.
We have moved some social groups there and were able to develop services as a result of this positive relocation. We used the move as a catalyst for future developments to match the needs of existing service users and bridge gaps within the recovery of local people experiencing mental ill-health.
We have since left the Mansion House and our office at Harry Blackman House and were all home working during the pandemic. We have spent the last few months developing our Strategy, rebuilding our Board of Trustees, developing new projects and planning for the future in uncertain times.
We left Harry Blackman House in 2020 and now have a registered office in the town centre. We are slowly opening up our services and activities as restrictions lift. This has been a slow process as we hold all our groups in public buildings and rented rooms. However, our plans are now being put into action, and we look forward to the future.
Our Services
Befriending
Please call 07912 059881
or email admin@sthelensmind.org.uk
St.Helens Mind is a voluntary organisation working with people living in the Borough who are aged 18+ and who experience distress or isolation because of mental health difficulties. The Befriending Service will provide support for people who feel isolated or alone due to the effects of mental illness.
St.Helens Mind is a voluntary organisation working with people living in the Borough who are aged 18+ and who experience distress or isolation because of mental health difficulties. The Befriending Service will provide support for people who feel isolated or alone due to the effects of mental illness.
Who is a Befriender, and how can they help you?
A Befriender is someone who can be there just for you, to listen to you and give you some time when you most need it.
Telephone Befriending
We can now only offer a telephone befriending service, due to the restrictions in place, due to the pandemic. The face-to-face befriending may resume once these restrictions are lifted.
How can telephone befriending help?
- Weekly phone calls with a St Helens Mind Volunteer
- Reduce Isolation
- Talk about common interests
- General chat
- Become more confident
How does the Service work?
Someone from the Befriending Service will contact you to assess your needs and suitability for the service, and later introduce you to a telephone befriending volunteer. Your Volunteer Befriender will arrange a regular telephone call with you.
The Telephone Befriending Service aims to:
- Improve self-confidence
- Improve self-esteem
- Reduce isolation caused by mental ill-health
- Reduce loneliness
- Enable people to cope with their lives beyond the Befriending Service
Being part of the Befriending Service will enable you to:
Express your concerns/feelings and have them listened to
Find companionship and friendship
Get practical support
Get assistance with developing self-help and coping skills
Are you interested?
If you think the Telephone Befriending Service can help you, please ask for a referral form. Call the Befriending Service Team on 07912 059881. Your form will need to be completed by your key worker, social worker, or another professional who is working with you.
When the completed form is received, someone from the St.Helens Mind Befriending Service Team will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss your situation and how we may be able to help.
Allotment
Please call 07912 059881
or email admin@sthelensmind.org.uk
St.Helens Mind’s Allotment is a safe and welcoming environment for people who are experiencing mental health difficulties and who would benefit from fresh air, gentle exercise and company. The allotment is at Cabbage Hall Lane, off Windle Hall Drive.
People who attend the allotment can enjoy activities; such as weeding, potting, digging, painting and planning ahead. You can also share ideas and knowledge. You might also like to visit just to enjoy the environment, relax with a cuppa and have a chat or simply have some peace and quiet.
There is enough space to work alone in peace if you prefer, or you can join in with others and enjoy your time together. There are facilities for tea or coffee, and there is even a toilet! The polytunnel provides shelter in bad weather.
It is easy to get involved: referrals for the Allotment Group can be made by individuals, health professionals, family, or other support workers. The allotment is accessible for people using wheelchairs, and there are raised beds to enable easier reach.
Are you interested?
If you think you would benefit from the allotment group, please ask for a referral form. Call the Team on 07912 059881. Your form will need to be completed by your key worker, social worker, or another professional who is working with you.
When the completed form is received, someone from the St.Helens Mind ‘A Place to Grow’ team will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss your situation and how we may be able to help.
Activities and Groups
Please call 07912 059881
or email admin@sthelensmind.org.uk
St.Helens Mind has several groups and activities to encourage people to enjoy the company of others, try new hobbies or explore existing ones.
Offering peer support and support from volunteers and staff, these groups are enjoyed by many of our members who seek to keep connected and find enjoyment from sharing space and interests with other people.
Current activities and groups include:
- The Sound of Mind Choir
- Music in Mind
- Arts & Minds
- Cinema Group
- Mixed Social Group
- Men’s Group
Plans are afoot for new groups, including a craft group, reading for wellbeing, and a walking group. However, we aim to respond to the needs of people who join us and make new opportunities where and when we can.
