Helpline Contact Numbers
Please find contacts for supporting children and young people, at the bottom of the page.
C.A.L.M. (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year.
Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58
Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58
Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day)
Website: www.thecalmzone.net
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Shout – Text: 85258
Is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help.
Website: https://www.giveusashout.org/
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Mindline Somerset
Telephone: 01823 276 892
Free phone: 0800 138 1692
24 hr service every day.
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Silverline
Aimed at people over 55. Their helpline is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Telephone: 0800 4 70 80 90
Website: www.thesilverline.org.uk
Stay Alive App (developed by reputable suicide prevention charities)
A pocket suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide. The app can be accessed through the Apple Store, Google Play and downloaded as a pdf.
https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/find-help-now/stay-alive-app/
For carers:
See Samaritans’ tips on how to start a difficult conversation.
Rethink also has advice on how to support someone who is having suicidal thoughts.
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Anxiety UK
Charity providing support if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Anxiety UK suggests practising the “Apple” technique to deal with anxiety and worries.
- Acknowledge: Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes to mind.
- Pause: Don’t react as you normally do. Don’t react at all. Pause and breathe.
- Pull back: Tell yourself this is just the worry talking, and this apparent need for certainty is not helpful and not necessary. It is only a thought or feeling. Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are not statements or facts.
- Let go: Let go of the thought or feeling. It will pass. You don’t have to respond to them. You might imagine them floating away in a bubble or cloud.
- Explore: Explore the present moment, because right now, in this moment, all is well. Notice your breathing and the sensations of your breathing. Notice the ground beneath you. Look around and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, what you can smell. Right now. Then shift your focus of attention to something else – on what you need to do, on what you were doing before you noticed the worry, or do something else – mindfully with your full attention.
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Bipolar UK
A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder.
Website: www.bipolaruk.org.uk
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Men’s Health Forum
24/7 stress support for men by text, chat and email.
Website: http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk
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Mental Health Foundation
Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities.
Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk
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Mind
Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.
Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
Website: www.mind.org.uk
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No Panic
Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD.
Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm). Calls cost 5p per minute plus your phone provider’s Access Charge
Website: www.nopanic.org.uk
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OCD Action
Support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources.
Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm). Calls cost 5p per minute plus your phone provider’s Access Charge
Website: www.ocdaction.org.uk
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OCD UK
A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.
Phone: 0333 212 7890 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Website: www.ocduk.org
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Rethink Mental Illness
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
Website: www.rethink.org
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Samaritans
Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
Website: www.samaritans.org.uk
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SANE
Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 4.30pm to 10.30pm)
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: www.sane.org.uk/textcare
Peer support forum: www.sane.org.uk/supportforum
Website: www.sane.org.uk/support
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Refuge
Advice on dealing with domestic violence.
Phone: 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)
Website: www.refuge.org.uk
Addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling)
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Alcoholics Anonymous
Phone: 0800 917 7650 (24-hour helpline)
Website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
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Somerset Drug & Alcohol Service (SDAS)
10 Cannon Street, Taunton, TA1 1SN
Call us on 0300 303 8788
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National Gambling Helpline
Phone: 0808 8020 133 (daily, 8am to midnight)
Website: www.begambleaware.org
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Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 0300 999 1212 (daily, 10am to midnight)
Website: www.ukna.org
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Alzheimer’s – Alzheimer’s Society
Provides information on dementia, including factsheets and helplines.
Phone: 0300 222 1122 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and 10am to 4pm on weekends)
Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk
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Bereavement – Cruse Bereavement Care
Phone: 0808 808 1677 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Website: www.cruse.org.uk
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Crime victims – Rape Crisis
To find your local services phone: 0808 802 9999 (daily, 12pm to 2.30pm and 7pm to 9.30pm)
Website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk
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Victim Support
Phone: 0808 168 9111 (24-hour helpline)
Website: http://www.victimsupport.org
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Eating disorders – Beat
Phone: 0808 801 0677 (adults) or 0808 801 0711 (for under-18s)
Website: www.b-eat.co.uk
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Learning disabilities – Mencap
Charity working with people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
Phone: 0808 808 1111 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Website: www.mencap.org.uk
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Parenting – Family Lives
Advice on all aspects of parenting, including dealing with bullying.
Phone: 0808 800 2222 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm)
Website: www.familylives.org.uk
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Relationships – Relate
The UK’s largest provider of relationship support.
Website: www.relate.org.uk
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Mood Swings
Aimed at anyone affected by a mood disorder, including friends, families and carers. Their helpline is open 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
Telephone: 0161 832 37 36
E-mail: info@moodswings.org.uk
Website: www.moodswings.org.uk
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SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
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NSPCC
Children’s charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.
Phone: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)
0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
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Childline
If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small.
Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service.
Can provide a BSL interpreter if you are deaf or hearing-impaired
Hosts online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.
Opening times: 9am – midnight, 365 days a year
0800 11 11
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YoungMinds
Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.
Phone: Parents’ helpline 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
Website: www.youngminds.org.uk
Abuse (child, sexual, domestic violence)
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PAPYRUS
Young suicide prevention society.
Phone: HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 10pm, and 2pm to 10pm on weekends and bank holidays)
Website: www.papyrus-uk.org
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Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS)
Call us: 0808 801 0456 or 0808 801 0464
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Kooth
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Young Somerset
Young Somerset is the largest youth work charity in Somerset and our mission is to put young people first.
Our aim is to work with young people, encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves and become actively involved in shaping the communities in which they live. Young Somerset works to achieve social and economic outcomes with young people, through the delivery of measurable outputs and outcomes.
https://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/Pages/Category/wellbeing-support
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Somerset Big Tent
Empowering children and young people to find the right wellbeing support at the right time.
https://www.somersetbigtent.org.uk/sbt-services/
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2bu
https://www.2bu-somerset.co.uk/
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The Mix
Aimed at people under 25. Their helpline is open between 4pm and 11pm, 7 days a week. They also run a crisis text service which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Telephone: 0808 808 4994
E-mail: through the website.
Crisis text message service: Text THEMIX to 85258
Webchat: through the website. (4pm – 11pm, 7 days a week)
Website: www.themix.org.uk