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FORMER HOMELESS SOUTHPORT RESIDENT BECOMES MENTAL HEALTH VOLUNTEER
Sefton resident David , formerly street homeless and struggling with his mental health , shares his story to encourage others to reach out and get support .
David , 57 , suffers from bipolar disorder and last autumn was sleeping rough in a shelter on Southport promenade when he stumbled across a flyer for the Sefton Crisis Cafes . With locations in both Southport and Crosby , the Crisis Cafe service offered him out of hours support for his mental health conditions and would go on to help him change his life for the better .
The Southport Crisis Cafe offered David a warm welcome , food and drink , a calm and safe space and a group of friendly staff who provided a wealth of support for both mental health and practical issues that he was experiencing . They gave him one to one support with his mental health concerns , helped him to register with a GP , get a winter clothing grant and referral to a food bank , as well as providing regular social activities with the staff and other service users in the cafe ’ s social space - all of which began to have a hugely positive impact on David ’ s life .
David said : “ It ’ s not possible to measure it , I ’ ve made some great friends through the café and there is nobody in my life who ’ s been there longer than ( Crisis Cafe staff ) Sherran and Sarah .
“ I ’ m a lot more positive than I was . I know that there is somebody there if I need someone .”
David now has a place to live with a housing association and has seen great improvements in his physical and mental health since accessing support from the Southport Crisis Cafe . He is so thankful for the help he has received that he now works as a volunteer for the service , offering support and encouraging others in similar situations to himself to come along and get help when they need it .
He said : “ I ’ ve got a lot to be thankful for . I wanted to give a little bit back , to make up for what I ’ ve received .
“ I ’ m not qualified to give advice , I can however fill in a form , I can put the kettle on , and if somebody wants to come and have a quiet chat – I think I ’ m a good listener .
“ Seeing a change in some of the people who come through the doors – I get a buzz from seeing other people progress .”
Sherran Robb , manager of the Sefton Crisis Cafes , said : “ Seeing the changes that David has made in his life , with the support of the Crisis Cafe , is a wonderful result .
“ We are delighted to have had David ’ s support as a volunteer and to now see him helping others , and would encourage anyone who is suffering with their mental health to come along or reach out to our team .
“ Many local organisations have worked together in partnership to provide the Crisis Cafe service for Sefton , and seeing the impact it can have on people like David shows just how essential this service is to those struggling with mental health issues .
The Sefton Crisis Cafes are based in Crosby and Southport , and offer out of hours support to anyone aged 18 years or over in Sefton experiencing a mental health crisis . They offer drop-in sessions from 5pm-11pm on Friday , Saturday and Sunday evenings to give local residents a place of safety as an alternative to A & E .
The service also offers a social space with refreshments and one to one support to reduce stress and help manage crisis situations , as well as support via phone , email or online Zoom calls .
The Sefton Crisis Cafe service was set up thanks to the local NHS in Sefton , Sefton Council , Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and local community groups ; Sefton CVS and Parenting 2000 .
Find out more about the Sefton Crisis Cafes at : www . seftoncvs . org . uk / project / crisis-cafe or get in touch with the team by emailing : crisiscafe @ seftoncvs . org . uk or calling 0300 323 0197 .
Further information on mental health and wellbeing support and services in Sefton can be found by following # SeftonInMind on social media .
16 merseylife . com