New service aims to help people with their mental health in Halifax

The not-for-profit service originates from a free app, aimed at any individual over the age of 16 and can be downloaded to all Apple Android devices, currently being successfully downloaded in over 68 countries.

Their ethos is based on the concept of anonymity and pairs individuals with other service users in the community to help each other try ‘unmask the stigma’ around mental health.

They provide a safe platform that enables users to discuss their issues and only reveal their identity if they desire.

Unmasked Mental Health offer a free peer-run support hub every Thursday evening between 7pm-9pm at The Piece Hall. The concept is a safe space that enables individuals to be able to offload and ‘unmask’ anything that may be affecting them with the reassurance of a confidential yet comforting environment.

Sarah Haigh, from the service, said: “Each week we provide a set of five different questions aimed at providing our hub users with the opportunity to be able to unlock and offload what is on their minds. We all have the goal to be able to open up and talk about our wellbeing, and our peer-run support hubs enable for just that.

“The initial reason that Unmasked was established was purely based on the founder’s personal experiences with mental health – making Unmasked not only an organisation, but a family. The aim of our peer-run support hubs is that they are for any individual aged 16+ who could benefit from either giving or receiving some support.

“We want to get people talking and to help us remove the stigma that surrounds mental health, one mask at a time.”