PEOPLE across Bury are being encouraged to speak to someone about their feelings if they are struggling ahead of World Mental Health Day.

During this difficult year, many local people’s lives and livelihoods have been affected and this has been particularly tough on people’s emotional health and wellbeing.

Bury residents are reminded that Early Break’s Getting Help Line offers non-clinical, non-urgent support for anyone experiencing low level emotional health and wellbeing difficulties.

Launched on behalf of Bury Council and NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in August, it is available to residents of all ages.

The Getting Help Line is open Monday to Saturday from 8am until 8pm. Early Break’s experienced and professionally trained call handlers will offer confidential support by giving advice, guidance and signposting people of all ages to appropriate local services to meet their needs.

The service can be reached in a number of ways:

  • On the phone: 0161 464 3679
  • By email: GettingHelpLine@earlybreak.co.uk
  • Online: earlybreak.co.uk/gettinghelpline

Dr Daniel Cooke, local GP and clinical director for mental health at NHS Bury CCG, added: “The pandemic has brought many challenges for people’s emotional health and wellbeing. It is vital that you still connect with people by speaking over the phone, by video call and find time to do things that you enjoy.

“If you feel you need some extra support, there are lots of options in place for local people and the Getting Help Line offers confidential advice and guidance to help you to access the right support.”

Greater Manchester’s Month of Hope, which runs until World Mental Health Day on October 10, has seen a number of activities have taken place to raise awareness of suicide and prevention.

A Bury woman who lost her daughter to suicide helped to create the Greater Manchester Suicide Memorial Quilt as part of the region's 'Month of Hope'.

The quilt, which was displayed at Manchester Art Gallery, is made of 54 unique squares, each one lovingly created by someone who is bereaved by suicide.

As well as remembering those lost to suicide, the quilt has aimed to raise awareness of the impact of suicide and the benefits of peer support and creative activities. The private online group is a place for group members to talk about the person they’ve lost and support each other during difficult times.

Speaking about the project, Rebecca Jackson said:

“We called the quilt Speak Their Name as many people bereaved by suicide have found that those around them often avoid saying the name of the person that has died. We want to tell the individual stories of those we have lost to suicide, to show the outside world that these are not numbers, these are human lives and real people left behind.

“As a mum bereaved by suicide I know how essential crafting had been to my mental wellbeing and I wanted to share some of the skills I had learnt along the way.

“Quilting has a long history of storytelling and calling for change. We hope that Speak Their Name will help raise awareness of the impact that losing a loved one to suicide has and to be part of Greater Manchester’s history.”