Mental health team finds it’s good to talk
ATEAM of volunteers has set up a free mental health support service to help people their own issues through conversation, mindfulness and meditation.
The Let’s Talk Project CIC, which has a facility at the ABD Centre, Bacup, has been developed by a team of volunteers headed up by directors Simon Dalley and Michael Hepworth - who discovered they were both looking to set up similar projects.
Simon, who also owns local SEO agency GrowTraffic, said: “I have had my own struggles with mental well-being and health. I sought out help and benefited from CBT or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming.
“I have also taken courses in coaching and mentoring and I would like to use the techniques I have learnt to help others.”
Michael said: “I have struggled with my own mental health issues, with addiction, and have been in rehabilitation. I have had depression, anxiety, and health issues as I have fibromyalgia; so, I understand how emotions can affect you physically.”
County Coun Scott Smith donated funding so project members could complete an Oxford-recognised and regulated mindfulness programme
Michael added: “I have a passion for helping others and right now mental health issues are growing and the pandemic has not helped people.
“We have rising prices, fuel, the cost of living, a war in Ukraine and the negativity of social media which is affecting our ability to communicate how we are feeling.
“We want to provide a free service for those people who can’t access help and can’t afford to pay for counselling. Crucially our help is there for as long as person needs it; we don’t set they timescale, they discharge themselves when they are ready.
“We are not clinical, but we have been trained and can help people to selfimprove and show them mindfulness techniques so that they can learn how to process their emotions,
become more functional and have a better quality of life.”
The Let’s Talk Project volunteers man a phone line 01706 558022 every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday from 12noon to 9pm.
On a Sunday from 7.45pm to 9.30pm Middle Men: Men’s Mental Health Support Group meets at the ABD Centre in partnership with Jackson’s Boxing to create a safe place for men to talk about their experiences, and especially their mental health.
Doors are locked after 8.10pm so guest speakers
can openly discuss their journeys with mental health and what helped them. It is a chance to learn coping strategies and learn that it is okay not to be okay.
A social befriending service has also been set up to provide support for people who are struggling with loneliness.
As the project becomes more established, they are also hoping to set up a Fresh Start Service to work with young people and to encourage businesses to support young people seek alternatives to anti-social behaviour.
The group is now actively engaging in fundraising activities.
Rachel Weinhold, Simon’s wife, observed Ramadan by fasting, and raised £264 for the project while a spiritualist evening added a further £332.50p.
The project is made up of a team of managers and staff. After Michael and Simon, these are Gemma Whyte, Wendy Speight, Zane Pinel, Kacie Davey and Tammy Nolan. To find out more email help@theletstalkproject.org or visit the Facebook page The Let’s Talk Project.