One in four people have mental health problems in their life

The local branch of mental health support charity Mind is looking to move from its current premises opposite the St Peter Port Arsenal.

It is also hoping to expand its services in the island and help those with mental health problems to get in touch with services they may be able to use.

The new chairman of the local branch, Tim Loveridge, says the charity has maintained a fairly low profile in the past, but this is something he wants to change.

Various triggers

About one in four will have some sort of mental health problem in their life.

Mind believes too much emphasis has been placed on medical problems causing problems in recent years.

It says this has led to "an epidemic in over-prescribing of anti-depressants", but that problems are often caused by a combination of factors and can be triggered by events in a person's life.

Mind wants people to be given a choice over the treatment they can have.

Tim Loveridge says a new centre would enable them to help more people who are suffering from problems.

He said: "Very much what we try to do is promote self-support groups with people that often feel that they're best served by getting together with one another in a like-minded group.

"We want to make a centre available to them to let them do that."