Mental Health: Sources of Help and Support

On this page:

• Mental Health Support Groups and Services
• Support Caring for Someone with a Mental Health Illness
• The West Berkshire Directory
• Other Charities

Mental Health Support Groups and Services

For general information, guidance and support for your mental health, the MIND website is a good place to start. MIND provide guidance about available support and services, information about legal rights, and information about types of mental health problems, amongst other things.

If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, or are struggling to cope, you can use the links below to find support groups and services that can give you help:

• Support for People Experiencing Mental Distress - information about support available in West Berkshire for those experiencing mental health problems
   
• Every Mind Matters - mental health advice and support
   
• West Berkshire Suicide Prevention - a wide range of resources for immediate and non-immediate emotional support
   
• Samaritans Newbury - for emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call 116 123
   
• NHS Talking Therapies Berkshire - provides stress workshops, access to GPs and health professionals and a self-referral service
   
• SWAN Advocacy West Berkshire - provides advocacy services for people with mental health issues
   
• Berkshire Healthcare - Mental Health Team (Adult) - information about the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)
   
• NHS Mental Health - provides information about Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, low self-esteem and much more
   
• NHS Mental Health Helplines - find further information about Rethink Mental Illness,  Bipolar UK, the Mental Health Foundation and many more
   
• Recovery in Mind - provides free online courses, available to all adults living in West Berkshire
   
• Eight Bells - provides support for people affected by mental health in Newbury and surrounding areas
   
• Sport in Mind - provides opportunities to get involved in activities to improve your mental wellbeing and physical health (there's something for everyone, and you don't have to be good at sport!)
   
• The Upper Lodge Farming Project - provides opportunities for outdoor working, horticultural therapy, green exercise and animal husbandry
   
• Emotional Health Triage service (EHT) - a free service open to children and young people (under 19 years old) in West Berkshire who need support with emotional health difficulties
   
• Time to Talk - provides counselling support for 11 to 25 year olds
   
• SHOUT - 24 hour UK confidential text messaging service - text about anything that is worrying you to trained volunteers and clinical specialists
   
• Kooth - free online counselling and emotional wellbeing support for young people 11 to 18 years of age.

As well as looking at the organisations and support services listed above, you can download our  Online mental health service directory June 2023 [3MB] , which provides useful information and contact details.
 

Support Caring for Someone with a Mental Health Illness

If you care for someone with a mental health illness and feel that you need help and support, we have listed some services that can help:

• Reading and West Berkshire Carers Partnership - provides free information, advice and support services to unpaid carers
   
• Young Carers - help and support for young carers in West Berkshire
   
• SHaRON (Support, Hope and Recovery Online Network) - provides a safe and secure social networking site for people in West Berkshire who are supporting someone with a mental health problem
   
• Support for Carers - information about the guidance, advice and support available for carers in West Berkshire, including information about taking a break from caring
   

The West Berkshire Directory

The West Berkshire Directory Mental Health Services provides links to charities and organisations related to mental health based in West Berkshire.
 

Other Charities

There are various other charities that can provide information and guidance about mental health, we have listed some below:

• SANE - offers emotional support and information to anyone affected by mental illness
   
• Calmzone - support for men who need to talk or find information and support about mental illness
   
• Young Minds - support for children and young people with a mental health illness