While Christmas is often referred to as the most wonderful time of the year, for many, it can be one of the most difficult. It's difficult to know where to turn to if you are feeling unwell over the holiday season or out of hours for Nottingham's support services.
The Wellbeing Hub on Hounds Gate in the city centre has become a lifeline for people when it comes to getting the support and help they need in a crisis. It is part of the Nottinghamshire Crisis Sanctuaries, with other branches in Mansfield, Worksop and Beeston. The Crisis Sanctuaries are delivered through a partnership of Framework, Turning Point and Nottinghamshire Mind.
The vital hub has managed to support many back on the road to feeling better after periods of deep distress in their lives. Heading into the Christmas period amid a cost of living crisis, the hub has seen record numbers visiting. It is open seven days a week from 6pm until 11pm and the phone lines are open 4pm from 11pm.
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Ivona Kolyk, is an Engagement Worker at the hub which opened in February 2021. She said that the hub number has been increasing in recent months with November being the highest yet.
"The hub started in February last year for anyone who is in crisis and struggling with their well-being. We run in the evenings and you don't see a lot of that in Nottingham. We provide support in the evenings because that is mainly when they into actual crisis or when people really feel unwell," she said.
"People can come in or drop us a call then they will get mental health support. We can also tell them about other support services as well that run in Nottingham so we can refer them to places like Mind or other partners. We can support them and this is a safe space to talk."
The cost of living crisis has meant a rise in the number of vulnerable people accessing the hub. This is made more difficult by the usual rise in numbers that access support services during the holiday season.
"At the moment with the cost of living crisis, we saw more people in November. We just had the record of a hundred people visiting us last month and numbers are going up. It's also getting darker quicker which is also having a huge impact on people.
People are worried about what is going to happen especially now with the weather and people are struggling. I think people just want to come in and have a chat on top of everything else in their lives."
Working as a crisis team with people who have complex situations can often be difficult. Ivona stressed that the team are very careful to look after each but they accepted that the role is not for everyone.
"I can honestly say the team is fabulous but the job is not for everyone and we understand that. People who are working in the face of the well-being hub are trained and they start out by shadowing people to start with. If at any point they don't feel the job is for them then that is absolutely fine."
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