A national mental health charity is extending its work on North Tyneside with the help of a four-figure grant from a regional employer.
The PeerTalk Charitable Foundation supports people living with depression or anxiety by hosting weekly peer support groups which help them share their experiences, develop coping strategies, reduce social isolation, build new relationships and grow in confidence.
The charity currently runs weekly groups at the Linskill Centre in North Shields and the Big Local community hub in Whitley Bay, with up to ten people attending each meeting.
A £2,000 grant from the Banks Community Fund will now help to cover the costs of running the two meetings for the next six months.
It will also help to pay for volunteer recruitment and training work, as well as publicity materials for GP surgeries in Killingworth, with the charity hoping to increase the number of local people it can help as a result.
Figures from the most recent NHS Talking Therapies Annual Report showed that the prevalence of depression in North Shields and Killingworth areas was significantly higher than the national average.
Founded ten years, the PeerTalk Charitable Foundation runs 17 groups around the UK, with other North East meetings being held in South Shields and Gateshead.
They allow people to support each other before, during and after the therapy that NHS Talking Therapies provides and also enable attendees to maintain contact with each other between meetings, both generally and at moments of crisis.
Meetings are facilitated by trained volunteers, many of whom have personal or family experience of managing mental health issues and remain available to attendees for as little or as much time as they need.
Rev Stephen Normanton, CEO at the PeerTalk Charitable Foundation, says: “Issues like depression, anxiety and stress are sadly all too common and we come into contact with a lot of people who are simply being overwhelmed by all the different issues they’re facing.
“Our group meetings are designed to provide a forum where these people can share their experience with others who understand what they’re going through and can hopefully find support, friendship, encouragement and new ways of coping that enable them to start rebuilding their lives.
“The testimonies of our attendees show the positive impact that the meetings have on their well-being and most especially how the connections they make with other people who are facing the same sorts of issues can show them that there are ways forward for them.
“Our North Shields and Whitley Bay meetings are doing just that, and we hope to be able to involve more local people who could benefit from the support available there.
“As an independent charity, funding is always a huge challenge for us, so receiving this sort of lump sum from the Banks Group is crucial in allowing us to plan into the future.”
Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “PeerTalk’s people-centred approach ensures that help is available in the places that people need it, both over the short and the long term.
“The charity and its volunteers are already making a positive difference to people across the North East and we’re very pleased to be helping it continue its work in North Tyneside.”
For further information on the PeerTalk Charitable Foundation, please visit https://peertalk.org.uk
The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).