Veterans in Sefton invites former military personnel, reservists and their families to attend its ‘Holistic Support’ Drop In held each Thursday from 10am - 4pm.

Held at the StrandByMe Community Shop in Bootle, the drop in provides counselling, meditation and a NAAFI Break all rolled into one location.

NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) originally funded Veterans in Sefton with its Voluntary Community and Faith Fund through Sefton CVS and more recently the project has received funding from The Royal British Legion. It has now been established with the assistance of Sefton CVS as an individual charity.

Significant impact has been achieved by adopting a “helicopter view” of the overall needs of an individual and utilising the existing Veterans in Sefton team, with extensive military experience, who understand the specific mental health needs of veterans and have the knowledge in how to handle the stigma attached to mental health.

Providing early intervention assessment, counselling and alternative therapies ensures that veterans are guided into the right treatment by the right service whilst the Veterans in Sefton team continue to provide interim professional counselling therapy and respective emotional scaffolding.

This facility promotes early recovery and reduces mental health detrition and the potential need for critical support/hospitalisation.

Every visitor is encouraged to join in a NAAFI style chat over a brew and some “stickies”.

A former soldier says: “3 weeks ago I was an emotional wreck, having the support of ex-military who understood my issues and provided immediate help has turned my life around.”

Veterans in Sefton can be found on Facebook or for more information call Steve Calderbank MBACP on 0151 933 0800.

Veterans in Sefton is supporting the ‘30 Days of Sefton In Mind’ Campaign – to spread the word about local services and activities available to people in Sefton to improve their mental health.

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.