Mental Health

Mental Health Ambassador

By understanding the local needs regarding the Mental health and St Helens having the highest male suicide rate within the England, SCDF has taken a proactive approach to address this local issue by the appointment of Mike Webster to help raise awareness. SCDF has also submitted proposals to bring OFFLOAD mental health project to St Helens to support and address the local needs.

Reminisce Café (TBC post COVID-19)

The Reminisce Café is a free bi-weekly dementia friendly event which is open to all. It has the aim of using the Saints and the town as a way of triggering memories and instigating discussion.

It’s fun, warm welcoming environment has been very popular over the past two years and we have a loving, loyal audience. The event also acts as a little respite for carers who do such a wonderful job looking after loved ones on a daily basis.

Mental Health Awareness Programme

This programme delivers full mental health awareness workshops to specific age groups, incorporating coping strategies, resilience techniques and practice workshops.

They also provide Bulimia and Eating Disorder Awareness Programmes, with handouts and easy reference glossaries of terms designed to help children understand these types of disorders. This project also aims to teach parents and teachers how to spot the signs of an eating disorder in children and how best to deal with this.

Offload 

So far, Offload has helped over 2000 men build their mental fitness, manage stress better and to be more resilient. Offload is run by former professional rugby league players and officials and is currently saving lives within our very own community.

OK2ASK Campaign

Saints Foundation has been working hard behind the scenes with partners at St Helens Council and Rugby League Cares to bring Suicide Prevention to St Helens,

OK2ASK has been developed collaboratively with The St Helens Suicide Prevention Task Group with the support of families in St Helens Borough who have tragically lost someone to suicide through St Helens Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Group (SOBs).

Anne Cunliffe from Haydock, who got involved with SOBs after losing her son to suicide 17 years ago, aged just 19, was at the Offload launch, said: “There were no signs of mental health with Andrew. I’ve lost my son and there’s nothing I can do to bring him back. But I’m very passionate about hope for other families.

“It’s okay to have that conversation. We can all do something to make a difference because suicide is preventable, and the work the council is doing in raising this awareness, for me, is just amazing and you can see that it’s really making a difference.”

OK2ASK focuses on the life-saving conversations anyone could have by asking someone ‘are you thinking about suicide?’.

To find out more about the campaign, support groups available to help and the signs to look out for if you’re worried about someone and how to talk to someone about suicide visit oktoaskcampaign.co.uk

Support for Veterans and their families 

Saints Community Development Foundation provide support for local veterans via The Veterans of The Foundation Hub:

We have the ability to expand our wrap around services to the individuals who need our support, and moreover offer them to more veterans. We already have a wide support network of specialists and partners who enable us to provide these services and we will be able to provide further safe and comfortable surroundings for 1 to 1 support meetings and group sessions.

Expanding on the mental health support by providing hands on therapy in such areas as our allotments and assisting the friends of St Helens Cemetery. Finding more programmes to get our veterans involved including our camping and fishing clubs. Rekindling the fishing matches against our friends and rivals from the Wigan Veterans hub. Boat trips on lake Windermere are all in the pipeline once we get the green light to go.