Lift the Cloud mental health support group family fun day raises hundreds

An event to raise awareness and funds has boosted the Lift the Cloud mental health support group by £438.

Sunday's family fun day at Gina Giles Hairdressing, in Bury St Edmunds, featured goodie bags, cakes, a raffle, crafts, face painting and more.

Lift the Cloud started in November as a Facebook group for anyone suffering conditions including PTSD, anxiety and severe depression.

It has now grown in numbers to more than 130 active members, who chat online and meet face-to-face.

Founders Sally Williams and Rob Atkins suffer from PTSD and realised the support they needed was not always available in West Suffolk.

“We thought, ‘let’s do something about it’,” said Sally. “It is lovely seeing the friendships being formed through the group. But we’d like to increase awareness and let people know we are here.”

Lift the Cloud hopes to find a space for meetings and to provide art therapy in the future

The group will hold a pop-up awareness event at the Arc shopping centre on August 19 from 10am-4.30pm.