Support

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership, we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

You can contact Alcoholics Anonymous on:

Phone number: 0800 9177 650

Email: [email protected]

Website: alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Advocate is a charity which helps to find pro bono (free) legal assistance from volunteer barristers. Advocate considers applications on a referral basis, with cases being referred by Citizens Advice, local MPs, Law Centres and charities.

These cases can be in any area of law, in any area of England and Wales. Advocate can assist with advice, representation and help at mediation cases.

You can contact Advocate on:

Phone number: 0207 092 3960
(Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10:15 to 12:45)

Email: [email protected]

Website: weareadvocate.org.uk

Address: Advocate, The National Pro Bono Unit, 48 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1JF

At a Loss provides the UK’s one-stop-shop for signposting the bereaved to bereavement support. You can search hundreds of organisations by using the location, age and type of loss filters. 

You can contact At A Loss on:

Email: [email protected]

Website: ataloss.org

Their website also provides an online professional bereavement counselling service called ‘Griefchat’.

This is anonymous and available 9-9, Monday to Friday on 01524 782910.

CHAIN - Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network - is an online mutual support network for people working in health and social care. It gives people a simple and informal way of contacting each other to exchange ideas and share knowledge.

CHAIN is open to anyone working in health and social care. Involvement in the family of health and care organisations, willingness to share experience and aspirations, and being prepared to respond to other members' questions are the only criteria for joining CHAIN.

You can contact CHAIN on:

Website: chain-network.org.uk

Child Death Helpline are here to listen. They understand that the death of a child is one of the most devastating events that anyone may experience.

Sometimes the feelings of grief can be so overwhelming that everyday living is very difficult – they're here to help. Their dedicated helpline offers support to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age, under any circumstances, however recent or long ago.

Your call will be answered by a trained volunteer who has also lost a child and understands the feelings that surround the death of a child. They know they cannot take away your pain. They do not try to tell you what to do or offer solutions. They offer a confidential, safe environment where you can talk openly about your child’s life and death – first and foremost they listen.

You can contact Child Death Helpline on:

Freephone 0800282986 or 0808 8006019

Email: [email protected]

Website: childdeathhelpline.org.uk

Citizens Advice provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.

They can provide advice on a range of topics including benefits, work, debt and money, consumer rights, family and housing, law and the courts, immigration and health matters. They value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.

You can contact Citizens Advice by visiting one of their local branches in 3,500 locations or on:

Web chat: citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/web-chat-service/

Phone number: England – 03444 111 444 and Wales – 03444 772 020

Text relay: 03444 111 445

(calls to any of these numbers cost the same as an 01 or 02 number)

Website: citizensadvice.org.uk

Dyspraxia UK provides assessments and diagnosis for children and adults, and is the UK specialist in this field of occupational therapy.

Their specially trained Consultant Occupational Therapists can help children, young people and adults by providing a detailed diagnosis and practical strategies to get people successfully through their studies and in the workplace.

You can contact Dyspraxia UK on:

Phone number: 01223 967 897
(speak to a member of our team or leave a message)

Email: [email protected]

Website: dyspraxiauk.com

Address: Dyspraxia UK, Summerhouse Farm, Melbourn, Royston, SG8 6DL

Harmless is a user led organisation that provides a range of services about self harm and suicide prevention including support, information, training and consultancy to people who self harm, their friends and families and professionals and those at risk of suicide.

Harmless was set up by people who understand these issues and at the heart of their service is a real sense of hope. They know that with the right support and help life can get better.

You can contact Harmless on:

Email: [email protected]

Website: harmless.org.uk

Address: 1 Beech Avenue, Nottingham, NG7 7LJ 

Mencap is the leading voice of learning disability. Everything they do is about valuing and supporting people with a learning disability, and their families and carers.

Their vision is a world where people with a learning disability are valued equally, listened to and included. In a nutshell, they try to help in any area of a person’s life where they need support.

They can tailor support packages to suit your needs, whatever your needs. You can visit their website to find out more about the kind of services they deliver around the UK.

You can contact Mencap Direct on:

Learning Disability Helpline: 0808 808 1111
(Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm)

Email: [email protected]

Website: mencap.org.uk

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. The charity campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Mind won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.

Infoline offers callers confidential help for the price of a local call.

Legal Line provides information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates.

You can contact MIND on:

Phone number: 0300 123 3393
(Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)

Legal Line: 0300 466 6463

Info email: [email protected]

Legal email: [email protected]

Website: mind.org.uk

Address: MIND infoline, Unit 9, Cefn Coed Park, Nantgarw, Cardiff, CF15 7QQ

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a non-profit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs has become a major problem. They are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. It is a programme of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using.

They are not affiliated with any other organisations, have no initiation fees or dues, no pledges to sign, no promises to make to anyone. They are not connected with any political, religious or law enforcement groups, and are under no surveillance at any time.

You can contact Narcotics Anonymous on:

Phone number: 0300 999 1212
(every day, 10am to midnight)

Website: ukna.org

One Stop Social is a specialist social work and care professional’s hub run by practitioners for practitioners. They provide the latest news, jobs, resources, training and events.

One Stop Social is the ‘one stop shop’ for both professionals and services. They offer a wide range of services, including practice education, social work consultancy, training, recruitment and a social work membership platform.

You can contact One Stop Social on:

Phone number: 03330 124074

Email: [email protected]

Website: onestopsocialwork.com

Address: Work.Life, 30 Brown Street, Manchester

If you’re experiencing domestic violence, you’re not alone. Refuge is the national charity which provides a wide range of specialist domestic violence services to women, children and men experiencing domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse.

On any given day, their services support almost 6,000 women, children and men. 

You can contact Refuge on:

If you need urgent support, call the 24-hour Freephone National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247

Website: refuge.org.uk

Relate is the leading relationship support charity in England and Wales. They offer counselling, information, mediation and support to individuals, couples and families, working face-to-face, online and on the phone with people of all backgrounds and sexualities at all stages of life. Relate.org.uk has a range of information and self-help.

You can contact Relate on:

Website: relate.org.uk

Rethink Mental Illness knows that if people don’t receive the right support, mental illness can destroy their lives. They recognise gaps in service provision and respond to these by developing and delivering services that provide high-quality care and support to people severely affected by mental illness.

Their services keep people living with mental illness safe and well in the community, prevent their needs from escalating, and help them live independently, access the information, support and care they are entitled to, and understand and exercise their rights.

Their aim is to deliver a better life for people severely affected by mental illness. They do this by not only meeting people's mental health needs but also helping them to improve their physical health, take control of their lives and establish a sense of belonging to their community.

98% of people who use their services said they got the right level of support from them and 97% felt supported in achieving their goals.

You can contact Rethink Mental Illness on:

Supporter Care Helpline: 0121 5227007

Advice Service phone number: 0300 500827

Email: [email protected]

Website: rethink.org

You can talk to Samaritans at any time about anything that is troubling you. Anything that is disclosed to Samaritans is completely confidential.

They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen. Samaritans are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You can contact Samaritans on:

Phone number: 116 123
(this number is free to call)

Email: [email protected]

Website: samaritans.org

Address: Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK, PO Box 9090, Stirling, FK8 2SA

You can find your local branch on the website. 

SANE is a leading UK mental health charity working to improve quality of life for people affected by mental illness.

SANE works to:

Raise awareness and combat stigma about mental illness, educating and campaigning to improve mental health services. 

Provide care and emotional support for people with mental health problems, their families and carers as well as information for other organisations and the public. 

Excite research into the causes and treatments of serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and depression and the psychological and social impact of mental illness.

You can contact SANE on:

SANEline: 0300 304 7000
(every day, 4.30pm to 10.30pm)

Main phone number: 0203 8051790

Website: sane.org.uk

Scope exists to make the UK a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

They provide emotional support, information and practical advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year, and raise awareness of the issues that matter.

You can contact Scope on:

Phone number: 0808 800 3333
(Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm)

Email: [email protected]

Website: scope.org.uk

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support, and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

You can contact Shelter on:

Phone number: 0808 800 4444

Website: england.shelter.org.uk/get_help / scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_advice

Switchboard is the LGBT+ helpline.

They offer a safe space for anyone to discuss anything. This includes sexuality, gender identity, sexual health and emotional well-being.

Switchboard support people to explore the right options for themselves. They aspire to a society where all LGBT+ people are informed and empowered.

You can contact Switchboard on:

Phone: 0800 0119 100

Email: [email protected]

Website (web chat available): switchboard.lgbt

Turn2us is a national charity helping people find benefits, grants and financial support online.

You can use the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to find out what benefits, tax credits or other state support you are entitled to. 

You can use the charity’s Grants Search to find money and goods from thousands of charitable funds. 

Visit their website to find out what other financial advice and support is available.

You can contact Turn2us on:

Website: turn2us.org.uk