Haverhill mental health support charity Open Mind – Meaningful Support receives Suffolk County Council award

A mental health support service run in Haverhill by volunteers has received a county council award in recognition of its work.

Open Mind - Meaningful Support, led by Charmaine Slade, Jodie Claydon and Ian Levett has received recognition for the contribution the organisation has made to the community.

Suffolk County Councillor, Joe Mason, who presented them with the award, said: “I cannot overstate the importance of the work Charmaine, Jodie and other volunteers do to help local people struggling with poor mental health.

“I have seen over the last five years the commitment this organisation has shown to helping people in need of support.

“Not only do they offer professional quality support but they also guide people to other local and national organisations who might be able to offer additional help.”

Charmaine, leader of the group said: “This award came as a huge surprise and I’m delighted to accept it on behalf of our amazing team, we are incredibly proud of them all.

“We hope that this endorsement will encourage others in our community to come.

“Even after five years many people still don’t know about our service.

“Everyone has a unique story, a unique journey to navigate and we promise to support people through what can be very difficult experiences.

“The group offers one-to-one individual support, free of charge, without appointment for as long as anyone wishes.

“We can support people with any form of mental health difficulty, eg, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, PD.

“No one’s problem is too big or too small. ”

Cllr Mason added: “It is a sad reality that we have people in our community who often don’t know where to turn for support when they need it.

“With kindness and care at the heart of everything it does, I was really keen to see this group receive the recognition it deserves.”

The service is open to anyone aged over 16.

It operates out of the Haverhill Methodist Church Hall in Camps Road and is open on Mondays from 7.30pm to 9m and on Wednesdays from 10am to midday.

All of the volunteers are trained to deal with mental health issues to an advanced level, are DBS checked and confidentiality agreements are in place.

Anyone wanting to find out more can visit the service’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/openmindhaverhill/