Halifax mental health group branch out to help sexual abuse survivors across UK

The Unmasked team, led by Logan Bonham Smith, 28, from Halifax, are providing the opportunity for people from across the country to utilise the group's popular social media platform in order to share their stories.

Mr Smith, who co-founded Unmasked in 2018, said: "We'll endeavour to support our community when they're going through tough times, or having a dip in their mental health.

"We'll be there to support, guide and advise.

"Calderdale is where the vision started, but it's also important to support the rest of the country.

"Unmasked give people a voice; we give people an opportunity to speak out about their feelings.

"The hard part is that they don't necessarily want to speak out in their community when talking about these topics.

"This is why we set our goals to open a peer support group within an hour's drive of major towns and cities across the UK.

"Because of the current situation we can't have our face-to-face groups but we have taken these groups online through our social media platforms, alongside this we have now released a mental health magazine in which people write in and tell their stories."

Pedro Pereira, 22, reached out to Halifax's Unmasked Mental Health & Wellbeing during lockdown in the hope other victims will follow suit and speak about their experiences for the better.

Mr Smith said: "Pedro has seen our content and what we try to achieve and it had given him the confidence to open up about his own life struggles. We needed him to have a voice and hopefully give other people the confidence to open up."

Mr Pereira, who lives in Norfolk, said he was sexually abused by a perpetrator, which started when he was 12 years old.

He said: "I understand my perpetrator had full competency to know what they were doing was wrong and disgusting."

Mr Pereira is now married to his wife Millie, who he describes as his 'rock'.

"My mission is to raise awareness and hopefully help others who have been sexually abused, which is why I reached out to Unmasked," he said.

"Those experiences happened at a very pivotal time in my life.

"My family, my wife and my brother Bruno have all helped me deal with this trauma."

Mr Pereira provided the following message to others suffering with abusive pasts, he said: "It's important to open up with family, friends, or someone you trust no matter how hard you think it will be.

"Even the smallest of things like getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult, but you have to take responsibility for yourself.

"It's important to know that you can have bad days, but do not suppress those feelings, own them.

"There's so much stigma but you should always be your true self."

Unmasked work closely with Andy's Man Club, which also originated in Halifax, as a referral for women and boys under the age of 16.

If you are struggling with mental health, groups, organisations and charities within the Calderdale area can help.

If you feel like you need immediate support, please consider attending an event nearest to you or contact the Samaritans free on 116 123.

A spokesperson from the suicide prevention charity Samaritans, said: "Anyone can contact Samaritans free any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit.

"This number won’t show up on your phone bill, or you can email [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch, where you can talk to one of our trained volunteers face to face.

Halifax's Samaritans branch can be contacted on 01422 349349, and is located on 29 Harrison Road.

Unmasked Mental Health meet at 7pm every Thursday for both men and women at locations: Kingcross Fire Station, Sowerby Bridge Tesco, Brighouse Tesco, and Mytholmroyd Community Centre.

Download the Unmasked Mental Health app at: unmaskedmentalhealth.co.uk.

Andy's Man Club can be contacted by visiting: andysmanclub.co.uk.

If you would like to view Unmasked's latest magazine, click here