Mental Health Solicitors

A volunteer at Sheffield Council’s Springboard Café which hosts a drop in service for mental health patients needing a chat has spoken out about how St Mary’s Springboard has helped him.

The council funds three Springboard Cafés, which run in the city centre, Manor and Parson Cross. They are free sessions which give people who are feeling low or isolated the chance to speak confidentially to others, make new friends and hear about positive steps they can take to feel better.

Volunteer Sean Munnelly, 40, from Burngreave said that when he first visited the café, he had never spoken to anyone about how he felt, not even after I’d tried to kill himself.

“I just thought I needed to ‘man up’ and get on with things – and I lived like this for years. But I can’t believe how much better I feel,” he added.

“It’s so important to get things off your chest – it really is like halving your problems, even if you’re not solving them.

“And it’s so common for people to feel low – I used to think people didn’t really care about anyone else and I was the only one feeling like I did. But it’s not true. You’re not alone and there are other people struggling.

“The Springboards are brilliant and people are definitely helped by coming here. We don’t judge and there’s none of the stigma. That’s a very big thing.”

The Springboard cafes are run by Sheffield MIND, Soar and Manor and Castle Development Trust.

Teresa Ravenshaw from Sheffield MIND attends all three and tells people about other mental health services and activities that can help.

“If you’ve recognised you have a problem and want it to change, we’re here for you. Even if you’re really stuck and don’t know where to go, just come along.”

More than 570 people have visited the Springboard Cafes since they first started in 2013.

Sheffield Council Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Councillor Cate McDonald, said:

“Mental health problems affect all of us and one in four people will experience them at any one time.

“It’s really important that we break the stigma attached to them, and talking to someone can really help.

“Many people who have come to the Springboard Cafes have gone on to other things, where they’re mixing with people and feeling less isolated. That’s why we fund them.

“They’re very welcoming and have lovely people working there who can really help. I’d urge anyone who feels alone and unhappy to visit as they can make a difference.”

People can drop into a café at any time – no booking or advance notice is needed.

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of Legal Aid mental health services and can advise mental health patients on a wide range of issues – including access to NHS mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act.

Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors regularly visit NHS hospitals to advise on mental health law – and are available across England and Wales at short notice for hospital and police station appointments.

In some cases, Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient on a range of issues, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate.

For expert legal advice on mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 020 3114 1124.