A crisis centre in Weston has received a generous cash donation to help continue its 'vital' work on improving mental health in the area.

On Tuesday (January 25), a cheque for £10,000 was donated to Safe Haven's chief executive. Weston's mayor Cllr James Clayton was also present at the meeting to discuss how best the money will be spent.

The donation was made by Howards Motor Group, a family-owned company in Weston.

Safe Haven's crisis centre on the Boulevard is run by mental health charity Second Step, to provide a safe space for people in acute emotional distress. The centre was co-designed with input from people who have experience using local mental health services.

It's the first of its kind for area, offering a mix of remote and face to face support and will be able to support 12 people every evening.

Weston Mercury: A meeting was held to discuss the future of the centre.A meeting was held to discuss the future of the centre. (Image: Weston Town Council)

Safe Haven’s team manager, Tammie Hemmett, said she was very 'thankful' for the 'amazing gift' from Howards Group.

She added: "It’s going to be put to great use, helping equip our volunteers with laptops and also potentially providing a pool table for clients who find it hard to talk."

Howards Group managing director, Peter Haynes, said: "Having seen the work done by Safe Haven, we wanted to help by making a meaningful financial contribution to their incredible efforts.

"As a business, our awareness of mental wellbeing and the plight of those suffering distress has become ever more pronounced over recent years, particularly with the ongoing impact of the pandemic on people who may already have been vulnerable.

"We are therefore absolutely delighted to support Safe Haven in continuing to look after those in need."

A spokesperson for Safe Haven said: "Skilled staff have supported more than 2,800 people, either face-to-face or over the phone and Zoom since we opened in March last year.

"The feedback from people about the service has been overwhelmingly positive, with 100 per cent of people saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with the support they received."

Star Davey is a client who has used the crisis centre, she said the support she recieved was a 'lifeline' to her when she was in a 'dark place'. She said: "The centre gave me the safe space I needed where I was able to vent all my frustrations and problems and not keep them bottled up."

The centre is open seven days a week between 6pm and midnight, and is available to people over the age of 16 and who live in North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.

To make a professional or self-referral, contact refer.safehaven@nhs.net or call us 01934 313480.

Find out more about the centre by visiting Safe Haven's website here.