A NEWLY-elected councillor has backed mental health support groups being set up for women across the Bradford district.

In March 2020, a new peer support group, It’s Worth Talking About, was set up in Keighley by Ryan Anderton and Andy Clements.

Initially set up to support men’s mental health through weekly meetings, the demand was so great for mental health support that support groups for women were added and new groups have been created in Bingley, Haworth, Wilsden, Shipley, Silsden and Crossroads with more new groups in the pipeline.

It also coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, which starts today.

Cllr Sally Birch (Con, Bingley Rural), who is a qualified Mental Health First Aider and supporter of It’s Worth Talking About and was elected last weekend, said: “I am a firm supporter of all of us taking ownership of our own mental health and that of our loved ones.

“Having attended the Bingley ladies It’s Worth Talking About group I can vouch for how beneficial it is to support each other to help us all to stay mentally strong.

“Many people are gym members and attend weekly fitness classes to maintain physical health, I see this as a way to maintain the mind’s health.”

There are also plans to add to the these through It’s Worth Talking About groups in schools. Research show 50 per cent of mental health problems are established by the age of 14 and the average time from the signs of mental health problems and receiving treatment is 10 years.

Brian Padden, It’s Worth Talking About trustee and facilitator for the Wilsden men’s group, is a Student Support Officer at Bingley Grammar School and has set up first ever IWTA school group.

He said: “There has always been a need for more support of mental health in schools. Some children have difficulties in their lives which require professional support, without which their mental health deteriorates.

“This is especially the case now with the impact Covid-19 has had on children and young people’s mental health.

“All schools have seen a rise in mental health issues while the NHS children’s support CAMHS continues to have long waiting list and high thresholds for treatment.

“Having a support group in schools helps to reduce the stress faced by our students and gives them strategies to use for later in life. “Our aim is that through normalising conversations around mental health it reduces the stigma and makes it easier to reach out for help in later life.

In the fifteen years I have worked with children in sport and education I have seen, almost every day, how effective and necessary having trusted support and early intervention is. . If we want the next generation to be resilient, capable and successful we have to invest in their mental health now, it’s great to have the support of people like Sally Birch, who understand that.”

The It’s Worth Talking About groups are free confidential, welcoming and could be a first step in making the change you need in your life.

For more information on the Men’s and Women’s groups, go to itsworthtalkingabout.org