Local support

NHS 111

Anyone needing urgent mental health support can now call NHS 111 and select the mental health option for 24/7 access to urgent support.

Children and Young People's Crisis Response Team

The Mersey Care 24 hour response team is for young people up to the age of 18 experiencing emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties which are causing difficulties in their school, family or social life.

The service is for children and young people who are registered with a GP in Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Warrington, up to their 18th birthday presenting in crisis needing an emergency response.

Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option.

Talking Therapies offers free NHS therapy for people registered with a St Helens GP with common mental health problems such as anxiety, stress or depression.

St Helens Wellbeing Service provide a number of initiatives to support wellbeing:

• Training: mental health training available face to face and online for organisations, businesses and voluntary/community groups.
• Men's Wellbeing Project: FREE activities for men to help boost wellbeing.
• Happy to Chat benches: located at various sites across St Helens, the Happy to Chat benches provide a place for people to stop and chat with others.

The OK TO ASK campaign is a local initiative which encourages everyone in St Helens to NOT be afraid to talk about suicide prevention - in order to help save the lives of those who might be.

By spotting and recognising the signals, breaking down stigma and silence and learning what to do when you think someone you know wants to end their own life, we can all help prevent suicide.

Crisis Cafe 110 at Hope House in St Helens is a space to find support, improve your wellbeing and be signposted to services. Open Monday-Friday 4pm-12 Midnight and Saturday and Sunday 9am-12 Midnight.

• Location: Hope House, 110 Crab Street, St Helens, WA10 2DJ
• Phone: 01744 20032
• Email: info@hopecentre.org.uk
• Website: hopecentre.org.uk

If you are feeling low, anxious, disinterested in your usual activities and are pregnant or within two years of giving birth, then the Parents in Mind's friendly, welcoming support may be for you. They provide support groups where you can meet others going through similar experiences, seek information, talk things through, or simply relax. 

Dad Matters St Helens exists to support dads to have the best possible relationship with their children. They work closely with other professionals within St Helens and nationally to better support dads in the first 1001 days of their parenting journey. They offer outreach services/drop-ins at Whiston Hospital, Lowe House Resource Centre and Family Hubs, provide one-to-one peer support, group sessions, new dad workshops and support with accessing services and information to help make sense of being a dad. 

ChatHealth is a confidential text messaging service for young people aged 11-19 in St Helens. Led by the School Nursing Service (part of the 0-19+ Service in St Helens), young people aged 11-19 can access confidential advice and support from school nurses via text on a range of health and wellbeing issues.

ChatHealth is available between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday (including school holidays and excluding bank holidays) and is accessed by texting 07312263250.

In St Helens we have a wide range of services available to support children and young people's emotional and mental wellbeing. Support is available within the community as well as in local education settings. Most of the services are available for children and young people aged 0-18 years old, but some offer support for children and young people with SEND up to age 25.

Visit the Thrive website to find the service that can best support you and your needs. If you have any queries about any of the services listed, please contact the service directly who will be happy to help.

HIMvisible is a St Helens-based mental health awareness group, making the invisible struggles of men in this world visible. 

Andy's Man Club run talking groups for men who have either been through a storm, are currently going through a storm, have a storm brewing in life or just want to meet a good group of people with the aim of improving one another. No referral, no registration and no charge. 

James' Place provides free, life-saving therapy to suicidal men through a quick, safe and effective intervention that is available at the point of crisis in centres in Liverpool, London and Newcastle. They support men, including individuals who identify as male, aged 18+. You can refer yourself or a man you know, and also accept referrals from GPs, mental health practitioners, and other voluntary organisations across the North East, North West and Greater London. 

The Standing Tall Foundation is a charity based in St Helens, founded in 2020 by Andy Reid MBE and John F Tabern MSc. They promote the mental health and physical wellbeing of all community groups, by providing free professional support and services. 

Creative Alternatives is the award-winning arts and wellbeing service supporting adults with mild to moderate anxiety, depression and/or stress. They offer a FREE programme of creative experiences that connect people together in a welcoming, relaxing and caring way. 

The Reading Well scheme helps people manage their own health and wellbeing through recommended self-help books. 

The Kind to Your Mind website has been developed to support people living and working in Cheshire and Merseyside with their mental health and wellbeing. Through the website, you can access a range of mental health and wellbeing services and resources including tips, advice, apps and online courses. 

Get trauma informed support from Sole Survivor. Free weekly peer support meetings are on offer for all.  

Age UK Community Companions offer practical companionship to help lonely or isolated older people re-engage with life outside their home.To find out more about Community Companions you can call on 0300 003 1992 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 1pm) or email communitycompanions@aukmm.org.uk

Age UK also hold a range of groups to help those who are 50+ and are lonely or feel socially isolated:

• St Helens Men's Group on Thursday's 12.30pm - 02.30pm at Mansion House, City Road, St Helens, WA10 2UE. This has a £2.50 Fee.
• Billinge Coffee & Chat on Wednesday's 10:00am - 12:00pm at Billinge Parish Council Hub, Main Street, Billinge, WN5 7PE. This has a £2.50 Fee.
• WhatsApp Digital Coffee and Chat on Thursday's 11am -12pm. This online group was developed to provide befriending opportunities for older people who struggle to get out of the house. Join the chat and test your knowledge with a fun quiz all from the comfort of your own armchair. If you would like to join the WhatsApp group but need digital support or equipment their Digital Support Programme can help.

National support

Samaritans provide a free-to-call service which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if you want to talk to someone in confidence. Call Samaritans on 116 123

The StayAlive app is a suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in a crisis.

Download from:

HOPELINEUK is for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide or for anyone who is concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide. Call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141

Kooth is an online counselling and emotional wellbeing platform for children and young people aged 11-25 years, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop. The service is anonymous and free at the point of use. 

Qwell is an online emotional wellbeing and mental health support service for adults. It is a confidential service where adults can anonymously access therapy and self-help content, with links to other appropriate services. 

National mental health charity Mind have a support line which is a safe space for you to talk about your mental health. Their advisors are trained to listen to you and help you find specialist support if you need it. Available Monday to Friday 9am-6pm (except bank holidays). Call Mind's support line on 0300 102 1234

The Hub of Hope is a UK mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place.

R;pple is an innovative online interceptive tool designed to ensure more help and support is provided to individuals conducting searches related to self-harm or suicide. The focus is on proactive intervention, bridging the gap between individuals in crisis and the help they require. By installing R;pple on your device, or supporting the R;pple mission, you become a part of a movement dedicated to saving lives and promoting a brighter, better-informed conversation around mental health. 

Feeling stressed, anxious, low or struggling to sleep? Every Mind Matters can help with expert advice, practical tips and personalised actions to help stay on top of your mental wellbeing.

Every Mind Matters also provides a free mind plan; by answering a few questions you can get your own personalised mental health action plan with tips and advice to help you be kind to your mind.

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) are taking a stand against suicide by provoking conversation, running life-saving services, and bringing people together so they reject living miserably, get help when they need it and don't die by suicide.

Struggling with your mental health and wellbeing? Visit the Mentell website for mental health support. Mentell is a UK charity that provides men's groups for males aged 18+ to talk in a safe and confidential space, free from advice and judgement.

Are you a young person aged under 25 and feeling suicidal? Visit the Young Minds website to find out what causes suicidal feelings, warning signs and what to do about feeling suicidal. You can also access real stories from those struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Are you a young person aged under 25 and struggling with your mental health? Visit the YPAS website to find out how the Young Person's Advisory Service can support you and your family with a wide range of wellbeing and therapeutic services.

Mind - For Young People

If you are a young person aged 11-18, visit the Mind website for wellbeing tips, information and mental health support. The website includes information on how to get help and also look after yourself.

To talk to a sympathetic person who understands farming and rural life, call the Farming Community Network (FCN) helpline on 03000 111 999, open 7am-11pm every day of the year. The FCN can help with health issues such as stress, depression, isolation and more. 

Support for veterans, service leavers and reservists

NoDuff provide mental health support for serving and former service personnel.

NHS - Op COURAGE

Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families.

You can contact the service in many ways, including:

• directly getting in touch yourself, or through a family member or friend - for the North of England call 0300 373 3332 or email OpCourageNORTH@cntw.nhs.uk
• asking a GP or other healthcare representative to refer you
• asking a charity to refer you

The NHS website also provides information about other mental health support for veterans, service leavers, reservists, families and carers.

Samaritans Veterans

Samaritans Veterans is a free app that can provide you with emotional support after your career in the Armed Forces. 

At Your Side suicide bereavement guides

At Your Side suicide bereavement guides, supporting anyone bereaved by suicide in the Armed Forces community.

Self-harm support

This website provides a range of guidance and resources for professionals working to support children, young people and families with self-harm and suicide prevention. These include child friendly safety plans, coping strategies and apps to support wellbeing. 

Calm Harm is a free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm.

The NHS website has information about where to get help for self-harm.

Young Minds - Coping with self-harm

Are you a young person aged under 25 and self-harming or thinking about self-harming? Visit the Young Minds website to find out what self-harming is and how to stop self-harming. You can also read about managing scars from self-harm and how to get help.

Children and young people safety planning resources

Follow the link to the Liverpool CAMHS safety planning resources website. On this page, you'll find a range of useful films, practical tools and resources that can help a young person understand their thoughts of suicide and keep them safe.

How I overcame self-harm

A short video published on the BBC website, explores how three young people describe the coping mechanisms that helped them recover from self-harm.

Guide for agencies and practitioners

A guide has been developed for agencies and practitioners to support children and young people who have thoughts of, are about to or have self-harmed:

• Cheshire and Merseyside Children and Young People's Self-Harm Practice Guide (PDF, 1 MB)

Support with mental health during the cost of living crisis

Mind Money and Mental Health

Mind provide practical tips on managing your money and improving your mental health

A website created by Mental Health UK, to help you understand, manage and improve your mental health and money issues.

Help for Households

The government is offering help for households. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for.

Support after suicide

Those bereaved by suicide often feel isolated at a time when they are hurting, suffering mental anguish and are vulnerable themselves to thoughts of suicide. Even those fortunate enough to have strong support networks can still feel alone, unable to share their true feelings for fear of their impact on others, particularly when they are also in a caring role for others who are bereaved.

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) exist to meet the needs and break the isolation experienced by those bereaved by suicide. SoBS is a self-help organisation which provides a safe, confidential environment in which bereaved people can share their experiences and feelings, so giving and gaining support from each other. Call: 0300 111 5065, 9am-7pm, Monday to Friday.

AMPARO means 'shelter' or 'safe haven' in Spanish. AMPARO provide support for anyone affected by suicide, whether a recent or a historical death. Support can be provided one-to-one, to family groups, groups of colleagues or peers - whatever is preferred by you and is most appropriate to your situation. Call: 0330 088 9255, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

First Hand is for anyone affected by witnessing a suicide, when they did not know the person who has died. This may be because you happened to be at a particular location, or because your job involves responding to these incidents. 

Bereaved by suicide and looking for support? Alfie's Squad is committed to helping children bereaved by suicide rebuild their lives with a positive, supportive community of understanding friends. 

Suicide is preventable

Suicide Prevention Strategy 2023-2027

We all want St Helens Borough to be a place where all suicides are prevented, where everyone knows how to have a conversation with someone they think is struggling, and that anyone who needs help can get the support they need. Our Suicide Prevention Strategy 2023-2027 (PDF, 16 MB) and its action plan build upon the good partnership work that we have developed both in this borough and across the whole of Cheshire and Merseyside.