On Friday the 21st of February 2025 Together for Mental Wellbeing officially unveiled the Reading Wellbeing Platform: Support Hub in partnership with Network Rail, Great Western Railway, and British Transport Police.

This innovative service provides direct support and signposting to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis within Reading Train Station, ensuring they receive compassionate guidance and connections to vital community services across Reading and Berkshire.

This pioneering service is made possible through strong collaboration with our valued partners. By offering immediate emotional support and initial assessments, the Support Hub provides an appropriate alternative to emergency services. The service helps to ease the strain on NHS resources and local police while ensuring that individuals receive timely and suitable assistance.

The Reading Wellbeing Platform operates at key busy times during the week, with a focus on safety, wellbeing, and accessibility. Staffed by two trained mental health professionals and volunteers from partner organisations, the hub delivers:

• Compassionate and calming interventions for individuals in crisis.
• Referrals to trusted local partners offering ongoing mental health support, housing, and financial guidance.
• Practical assistance and signposting to ensure individuals receive the care they need.

Since its initial launch in December 2024, the service has already made a significant impact, helping those experiencing acute distress. The team is committed to continuous learning, using lived experiences and feedback to enhance their approach, particularly for individuals facing severe mental health challenges.

A key ambition of the project is to increase mental health awareness and provide targeted resources to partner organisations. By fostering understanding and reducing stigma, the service aims to create a more supportive environment for those in need.

Thank you to all involved in this project!

In 2006, I was assessed by a mental health professional because I was in an extremely dark place where I tried to end my life. There were voices in my head that were very strong and overwhelming. I had a doctor’s appointment where I was told I had borderline schizophrenia.

A week later, I was arrested for threatening to kill my Mum. When I got arrested, the police asked me if I had any mental health issues, so I told them about my diagnosis of schizophrenia the week before. They then came back half an hour later and accused me of lying about my recent diagnosis. I told them to ring my Mum and partner, who would both tell them that I was in fact telling the truth. The policeman did exactly that and came back to inform me that this had happened.

I made a little safety booklet for when I’m next in a low place.

I was in and out of services until 2018, when I had a psychotic breakdown. After this, I was reassessed. They told me that my new diagnosis was emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) with psychotic episodes and compulsive components. After the assessment, I was put in touch with the Recovery College. At first, I wasn’t keen on the idea at all but I persevered and well… I actually learnt a lot!

I did a couple of courses at the Recovery College. After attending the ‘wellness planning’ course, I soon learnt that recovery isn’t going to happen overnight. Recovery is a long winding road, not a straight road like I had thought or wished.

I did another course called ‘safety planning’ which was quite a hard one because we were talking about times in crisis. I made a little safety booklet for when I’m next in a low place. In ‘goals setting’, I learnt that the best thing was to set small, more achievable goals.

It’s not going to beat me, I’m going to beat it!

This experience led me onto starting a blog, where I write and talk about mental health and my personal journey. I’ve found this to be very empowering and helpful with my own recovery. I’ve also come up with a little saying that I like to repeat to myself: ‘it’s not going to beat me, I’m going to beat it!’

I then found out about a therapy called Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). This type of therapy has proven to be very beneficial for people who have a personality disorder diagnosis. I’ve been chasing DBT down for 2 years now, and I can finally say that I’ve gained a spot with Norfolk and Waveney Mind to start it. So, it’s time for me to learn more tools and become an even better me. This is just the next chapter in my mental health journey. 

On the 8th of September Bipolar UK celebrated their 40th anniversary with volunteers and ambassadors in Westminster City Hall- the venue where the charity’s first peer support group meeting took place. The 40th birthday event was a chance to say thank you to all the volunteers who Have helped make the world a better place for people with bipolar.