A project from Sefton CVS is hoping to make connections in the local community and improve the wellbeing of those who may at times feel like they have nowhere to go.

The Community Connector Project is aimed at people aged 18 or over who are at risk or feeling lonely and socially isolated, with low level mental health needs and not meeting eligibility criteria of adult social care.

Upon referral a Community Connector will make initial contact and arrange a home visit. A loneliness questionnaire and mental wellbeing questionnaire are completed as well as asking the client what would improve their quality of life, what would get them out of the house, what have they always wanted to try.

They are paired up with a Community Champion (volunteer) who aims to help the client to achieve these aspirations. Slowly, the Community Champion will take a step back from their duties enabling the client to do more for themselves now that their social circle has increased.

Many lonely and isolated people call upon emergency services in times of need, and this is not always necessary. They are likely to then be referred to social services when they do not necessarily meet their criteria.

With an early intervention and prevention project such as Community Connectors, people who are in need of help and support can call upon family, friends and neighbours in times of need to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and referrals onto adult social care.

To find out more about the Community Connector project, call the team on 0151 920 0726, follow them on Twitter, or visit the Sefton CVS website.

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.

The overall number of people with mental health problems has not changed significantly in recent years, but worries about things like money, jobs and benefits can make it harder for people to cope. In Sefton there many activities and services that happen in the community every week, that you might not even know about, which could improve your mental health and help make life a little easier.

So, from World Suicide Prevention Day (10th September) to World Mental Health Day (10th October) we are going to spread the word about local services and activities available to people in Sefton. Look out for the hashtag #SeftonInMind and join in by telling us about good local services and activities that have helped you.