Published on: 29 January 2025
Talking about mental health and wellbeing is one of the most powerful ways to break down stigma, better understand one another, and promote a supportive culture, according to a senior Derbyshire nurse – even when it may not be an easy subject to discuss. 
As Time to Talk Day approaches on 6 February 2025, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s director of nursing is encouraging local people to speak up about mental health, especially when someone is feeling down. And the Trust is joining forces with Derbyshire Mind to help start some of those important conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
The two organisations will be running an awareness and engagement event at the Community Hub (adjacent to Iceland) at the Derbion shopping centre in Derby on Wednesday 5 February between 10am and 3pm. As well as mental health specialists from both organisations, there will be school nurses and health visitors available to talk to young people and families about Children’s Mental Health Week, which is taking place throughout the week.
The theme for this year’s Time to Talk Day is ‘a chance to be more open about mental health – to talk, to listen and to change lives’. The event will provide a safe space for people to open up about their mental health concerns, whether those concerns are for themselves or their loved ones.
Tumi Banda, Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals, Quality and Patient Experience at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Mental health and wellbeing is a major priority for the NHS as a whole, and particularly for Derbyshire Healthcare. Our aim is to support and help residents of Derby and Derbyshire to better navigate their own mental health as well as promote positive mental health and wellbeing across our communities.
“Time to Talk Day is a fantastic opportunity to encourage people to start talking to someone about their mental health concerns. If we advocate for more open and honest conversations, more people will go on to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We hope to see lots of people attending our joint event with Derbyshire Mind, to help promote and begin some of these healthy discussions.
“Mental health can be a hard subject to approach with someone. Sometimes it’s hard to say how you really feel but just one small conversation can change someone’s perspective on life.”
General support available to people in Derby and Derbyshire
Everyone experiences ups and downs at some point but poor mental health is not something that should be experienced alone. There are lots of self-help tips and advice on the NHS’s Every Mind Matters website. And there are also lots of ways to reach out in Derby and Derbyshire if you need someone to talk to – including local events, drop-in centres, safe havens open every night of the week, and a 24/7 local helpline – and these are described in more detail below.
Children’s Mental Health Week
Derbyshire Healthcare’s school nurses and health visitors will also be available to talk about all things mental health for Children’s Mental Health Week (3-9 February 2025) at the Derbion event on Wednesday 5 February.
You can find out more about useful information on maternal mental health and children’s mental health and wellbeing through the Trust’s Family Health service.
Urgent mental health support services
If you, or someone you care for, needs urgent mental health support, there are a range of options available to support you. These are summarised below, or you can find more information online – on the 'help in a crisis' page on the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust website or on the ‘Derby and Derbyshire emotional health and wellbeing’ website. Remember: in a medical emergency or life-threatening situation, please attend your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department or call 999.
Mental Health Crisis Support Drop-In Services
There are three crisis support drop-in services open Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons in Buxton, Swadlincote and Ripley. These drop-in services, run by Derbyshire Mind in partnership with local community organisations, offer an out-of-hours friendly and welcoming community support space open to anyone over 18 experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress. This is an opportunity to get support and help in a relaxed and comfortable environment. All three services are open Fridays and Saturdays 6pm to 11pm, and Sundays 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
- The Buxton service is located at Zink in the Market Street Car Park (top of Clough Street), SK17 6LJ.
- The Ripley service is at The Croft, Slack Lane (just off Ripley Market Place), DE5 3HF.
- The Swadlincote service is at 12-14 West Street (opposite the Empire Cinema), DE11 9DE.
Full details of all three services are on the Derbyshire Mind website.
Safe Havens
These centres, in Derby and Chesterfield, are open every evening from 4.30pm to 12.30am and are places where people can get support when they feel overwhelmed or unable to cope.
- Derby’s Safe Haven, run by Waythrough, is at 309 Burton Road, Derby DE23 6AG. Tel: 0330 008 3722
- Chesterfield’s Safe Haven, run by the charity P3, is at 188 North Wingfield Road, Grassmoor, Chesterfield, S42 5EJ. It can be contacted through the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline on 0800 028 0077 or you can self-refer by making a booking on the P3 website.
Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service – 0800 028 0077 or dial 111 and select the ‘mental health’ option
This free helpline is staffed by NHS professionals from Derbyshire Healthcare and advisers from the charity P3. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for residents of Derby and Derbyshire of all ages, adults and children alike. There is now a new option for Deaf people and those with a hearing impairment to contact the helpline via the SignVideo app. Learn more at www.derbyshirehelpline.com
The helpline works closely with the Safe Havens and also Derbyshire’s Crisis Houses, which offer short-term residential accommodation to people with urgent mental health needs, to support their wellbeing.
Help Us, Help You – NHS Talking Therapies
The NHS is encouraging anyone struggling with feelings of depression, or anxiety such as excessive worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or obsessions and compulsions, to seek help through NHS Talking Therapies services. These are effective, confidential and free treatments delivered by trained clinicians, online, on the phone, or in person.
If you’re struggling with feelings of depression or anxiety, seeking help through an NHS Talking Therapies service can be one of the best steps you can take to overcome mental health issues and get back on track.
You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to an NHS Talking Therapies service. Getting support as soon as you start having difficulties can help to reduce their impact.
For those whose first language is not English, talking therapies can be delivered through multi-lingual therapists or through confidential interpreters, and in British Sign Language (BSL) through SignHealth’s NHS Therapies for Deaf People service.
Your GP can refer you for NHS Talking Therapies, or you can refer yourself online at nhs.uk/talk.
Useful websites
These websites have lots of information about other support services and community groups in the local area:
- Hub of Hope website – this website also has information about support available nationwide
