Rethink Mental Illness Helpful Friends - Spennymoor

• DL5 4UE, 4 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers

Our Durham BPD Friends and Family support group has been running since 2013 and offers anyone that cares or supports someone with borderline personality disorder the chance to come together. Our friendly group meets once a month and offers a safe space for people to share their experiences freely and without judgement. We provide information, share knowledge, skills and discuss practices for looking after ourselves, as well as offering support and encouragement to one and another. New members are always welcome.

• DL6 1DG, 26 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers

Our Northallerton Carers group has been running since 2003 and offers carers that support people with mental illness the chance to come together in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Our friendly group offers a safe space for people to share their experiences freely and without judgement, so our members feel less isolated and more supported. We provide information, share knowledge and skills, and occasionally organise for speakers to attend meetings to keep us up-to-date with changes to services and care. We actively welcome speakers from our local trusts and services as this provides a valuable opportunity for visiting professionals to gain an insight into the lives of carers, which will hopefully lead to better communication and understanding in the future and service improvements. Visiting speakers from other organisations provide other helpful information, including practical help, benefits advice and where to access additional help to support members in their caring role at home. Our meetings are strongly supported by our local carer support officer and The Northallerton Carers’ Centre. As well as offering information and support, we try to have some fun and organise a few social events. We warmly welcome new members.

• HG1 1PB, 49 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers and People with Mental Illness

Our Harrogate Support Group began to form in 1986, but we officially registered with Rethink Mental Illness in 2002. We offer people living with mental illness and those who support them the chance to come together in a place of mutual support. Our friendly group meets once a month in the afternoon and offers a safe and welcoming space for people to share their experiences and socialise. Tea and coffee is provided; however, because we meet in the afternoon, many members bring their own lunch, so they can enjoy this as they talk. We have a wealth of fact sheets and information, including a resource library, which members can access, as well as information on other local services. Occasionally, we organise for speakers to attend meetings and talk about on topics of interest to further support members or keep them up-to-date with changes to services and care. From time to time, we also arrange social outings and activities outside our regular meetings and work together to fundraise and join local events. New members are always welcome.

• CA1 2HA, 54 miles from this group
• Tag: People with Mental Illness

The Offload Cumbria group has been established to provide an informal, safe, supportive and non-judgemental place for young men who are struggling with their mental wellbeing to come together and share their experiences. We aim to do this by encouraging participants to talk about their experiences as well as incorporating various games and activities. We also have speakers attend some of our meetings to talk about topics that group members have identified as wanting to know more about.

• , 55 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers and People with Mental Illness

Our group has been supporting people affected by mental illness and their families for over 30 years. The group runs two programmes: the first is a monthly social club (Club 84) which offers peer support at its meetings and outings for about 8–10 people who have experienced mental ill health. The second programme is a Carers’ Support Group which also meets monthly and is run in partnership with York Carers Centre. Members support and encourage each other and, with input from visiting speakers, are kept up-to-date with changes to local services and care. About 20 carers regularly attend meetings. Working in partnership with others to improve local services and care, and ensuring the voice of carers is heard by local authorities, are also an important part of our work.

• LA6 2RB, 56 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers

We have been set up by Sue and Pete, who established the group to provide an opportunity for people who are caring for their loved ones affected by mental illness in the North Lancashire and South Cumbria area to come together. The group aims to provide a safe, supportive and confidential space for people to connect, share their concerns and learn from each other. Sue and Pete have their own personal experiences of caring for family members with mental health conditions and understand how important it is to have others around you who really understand the nature and complexity of what you might be facing. The group was due to launch in early 2020, but unfortunately due to the lockdown the launch was delayed; we now have a small and welcoming group who have met monthly since November 2020 The meetings are held every third Wednesday of each month and are open to anyone who has a family member with mental illness or anyone who identifies has a mental health carer in the surrounding areas of Lancashire, South Cumbria, and North Yorkshire. Within the meeting, we provide a safe and supportive opportunity for people to share their own personal experiences of supporting someone with mental ill health and receive suggestions and tips from other members. We also aim to encourage personal wellbeing in addition to the wellbeing of those we care for, and intend to share knowledge of local sources of support; on occasion will have people attend the meeting to present information that our members may find useful. So far we have had to meet online (on Zoom) rather than face-to-face, but the group does plan to meet in person during the summer We know that for many of us, the most important thing we get out of the group is that we are not alone and know that other members experience the same challenges. The group will be meeting once a month on Zoom. If you want to find out more or attend the group, please contact us via email or phone.

• , 68 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers and People with Mental Illness

The Accrington, Burnley and Pendle Group runs a wide array of activities across Burnley for people living with mental illness. We believe that by providing sports and social activities we can help to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of members and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Our group activities vary from going to the gym to visiting the local cinema to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster. We meet on the first Friday of each month to plan our activities for the following month, so all our members can help decide what we do. The group is entirely peer led, and is run by Greg and a group of volunteers who each have a personal experience of mental illness. An important part of what we do is providing peer support to each other and sharing our experiences with others facing similar challenges. If you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you. Meets in various locations across Burnley.

• , 75 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers

Our Beverley Carers group has been running since 2003 and offers people that care for support someone with mental illness the chance to meet in a safe and supportive space. Our friendly group gets together once a month to share experiences, support and information. We occasionally organise for speakers to talk about topics of interest and keep us up-to-date about helpful services in the local area. New members are warmly welcome.

• PR7 6DH, 79 miles from this group
• Tag: Carers

Our group is in its 10th year of supporting carers by providing helpful information, a listening ear, empathy and suggestions for getting the best care for loved ones living with mental illness. We have excellent knowledge of local and national mental health services, as well as strong relationships with local service managers (both NHS and also social services teams from Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Lancashire councils). Our group offers peer support both in the group and at meetings that carers may attend such as needs assessment or clinical interventions. This gives carers the confidence and support they need. Carers can access the group via email or telephone or attend meetings in central Lancashire These give people plenty of opportunity to share experiences with each other and also tend to be mini conferences featuring key speakers. If required, we can contribute to travel expenses or we can try to arrange lifts. Our basis is a belief that the best support for carers of people with mental illness is to have the best care for their loved ones. If you wish to get involved in the group, require any support or want to sign up to our newsletter, please contact us. This group is open to anyone across Lancashire.