‘We are breaking barriers’: People facing mental health crisis need safe spaces and community

There is an alarming trend in suicide rates. In 2024, the registered deaths from suicide in England and Wales reached the highest level since 1999, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the north east, though it no longer has the highest suicide rate in the country, there was still a 15% increase in people taking their own lives in 2023.

In response to this growing healthcare crisis, Everyturn Mental Health, a non-profit organisation based in Newcastle upon Tyne, has expanded its crisis services to meet the urgent mental health needs of the region. Through innovation and partnerships, the organisation is taking a transformative approach, by tackling the social and practical issues that are pushing people into mental health crisis.

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Expanding support across a region

Everyturn Mental Health has an expansive set of services that provide support to people in mental health distress, including in-person, digital, and telephone support.

To bring immediate practical and social support to people in distress, we have opened our first safe haven on an Ashington high street in Northumberland. Based in a building called ‘The Bothy’, the safe haven provides drop-in mental health support between 2pm and 10pm every day. It also connects people to services to help with issues like finances, housing, work or relationship difficulties.

This safe haven is the first of its kind in the region, putting mental health support on the high street and offering help, 365 days a year, to ensure no one struggles alone.

Pasha Tanriverdi, head of development at Everyturn explains: “The most recent ONS suicide rate data reflects the greater numbers of people needing our services. This year alone, we’ve supported over 4,600 people through our crisis services. For 50% of those people, financial pressures were the cause of their distress.

“By bringing support directly into communities, we are breaking the barriers people face when looking for mental health support, making it easier for people to access the help they need, when they need it the most.”

Community is key to successful mental health support

A community hub, like the safe haven, meets people where they feel comfortable, close to home and in a welcoming space. Accessible services like this provide an alternative to clinical intervention and help people get the support they need sooner.

By focusing on each person’s mental, emotional, social and practical needs, Everyturn offers help which includes anything from emotional support, emergency food or fuel vouchers, free feminine hygiene products, support with attending appointments, creating a safety plan, or working with local community organisations to find the right level of support for each person.

Tanriverdi says: “We understand the importance of offering a safe space, but not everyone can travel or leave their home easily. That’s why we also offer same-day appointments over the phone or online, to make the service accessible for everyone.”

It’s time to work together

Everyturn Mental Health, which has been a partner of the NHS for nearly 40 years, works closely with a variety of partners from local authorities to Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

A collaborative approach improves access to care for everyone and also relieves some of the pressure on NHS crisis teams, A&E departments, and police forces,who are already overstretched.

Pasha said: “Working together with partners is essential to meet the challenges faced by our health and social care systems. It also means we can shape new services based on the needs of our communities.”

Looking to the future

The Ashington safe haven has seen immediate success since its opening in April 2024, with over 400 people across Northumberland accessing the service. Everyturn Mental Health is now replicating its success in Northumberland by partnering with the NHS and the Road to Recovery Trust to open a second safe haven in Newcastle city centre this autumn. A third is planned for 2025.

Tanriverdi says: “We are delighted to be starting work on our second safe haven, to offer more space for people needing mental health support in the heart of Newcastle.

“The safe haven in Ashington has already proven to be a great addition to the community and is helping to ease pressures on other NHS services. We hope our continued work with our NHS partners, and now the Road to Recovery Trust, in creating this new safe haven will help ensure that nobody struggles alone.”

Learn more about Everyturn Mental Health and its services in the North East and across England.Jo Armstrong is the senior press and campaigns executive at Everyturn.

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