New mental health support group launched in city

1 hour ago

Andrew DawkinsWest Midlands

News image — The Rethink Mental Illness advice service, Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and SUIT volunteer Howie Atkin (back right) are among those to have promoted the sessions

City of Wolverhampton Council Four women at the front and three men behind them are posing for the camera. One woman has black hair and another blonde hair and the other women have brown hair. They are standing in front of a building, with the words university and Wolverhampton partly visible on the right. — The Rethink Mental Illness advice service, Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and SUIT volunteer Howie Atkin (back right) are among those to have promoted the sessions

A new support group for people who help others is meeting monthly in Wolverhampton.

It is open to anyone with lived experience of mental health issues, homelessness or related challenges "working in a peer role, whether paid or voluntary, with an organisation or community group", the council said.

At the Mental Health Peer Network drop-in - from the Rethink Mental Illness advice service and others - people can share experiences and discover education, employment and training opportunities.

One volunteer who has visited said it was an opportunity "to get advice or guidance", adding: "It is incredibly helpful for us to share our experiences and what is going on in each of our individual areas."

Howie Atkin, a volunteer with the Service User Improvement Team (SUIT) service, which supports vulnerable adults and helps recovering addicts, visited the new support group for the first time last week.

He said it was an opportunity for participants "to know that we are not alone – just like the people that we work with are not alone".

The drop-in is run by Rethink Mental Illness in partnership with SUIT, Wolves Foundation and Good Shepherd, which supports vulnerable people, alongside health and care partnership OneWolverhampton.

Council cabinet member for health, wellbeing and community Obaida Ahmed, said the sessions "create a safe space" for people to "take positive steps forward together".

"Talking openly about our mental health is one of the most powerful things we can do," she stated.

Sessions are held at the Rethink Train Station Hub at Wolverhampton railway station.

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