Our Guide to Setting up a Mental Health Support Group

It's no secret that mental health is becoming a bigger issue in society and support for those struggling is not always easy to find,

with long waiting lists, a lack of face to face help and often and further distances to travel for appoinments. We want to inspire more people to bridge the gap.

According to Mind, as many as 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year. How many of those people are struggling in silence? How many shy away due to stigma? How many have struggled to find the support they deserve in their local areas?

Our dream is that every town and city across the county will have a safe hub. A place where individals can come and just be themselves, with no pressure, no judgements, and no expectations.

At Pepper's- A Safe Place we have been putting our simple, peer support, formula to the test for the past four years, with great success.

A driven, community minded individual with some knowledge or experience of Mental Ill Health

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A small team of friendly and welcoming people

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A rented community hall/ room

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Plenty of tea and biscuits

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A Mental Health Support Group

That is our formula- simple right? Since then we have grown and developed but in the beginning, we were just a small team of locals who wanted to bridge the gap in support.

You can read some of our testimonials here or read more about what we do here.

Could you be the one to provide a similar space in your commuity? Could you help those in need by providing a vital safe space and platform for people to get back into the community? Could you help bridge the gap in mental health support?

We are looking to support individuals from across the country in setting up their own Community Mental Health Groups. Whether you or a loved one has battled with mental illnesses or you are just very aware of the difficulties in finding and accessing mental health support in your area, this project could be for you.

But how do you go about setting up a group? What skills do you need? Which insurance should you be getting? Where would it be? What would it involve doing?

If you've got to the point where you're asking yourself these questions, you should be giving yourself a big pat on the back. It takes a very caring and passionate individual to even contemplate setting up a group like this.

Please take a look below at the start of our user friendly Guide and if you are even a little interested in learning more and reading the full copy, please do send us a message to support@peppersasafeplace.co.uk. We'd love to hear from you and will be happy to chat through any questions or queries you may have.

We believe everyone should have a safe space to go where they can feel welcome and listened to- do you?

"The effects of the pandemic have clearly demonstrated the importance of a listening ear for those with mental health illnesses. Pepper's is a successful and innovative community response to these ever increasing challenges. This simple guide shows how every town and village could create its own version of this vital resource."

Sir Norman Lamb

Chair, London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Chair, National Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition.