This World Mental Health Day, we’re taking a moment to recognise the difference that local, community-led support makes every single day across Lancashire and South Cumbria.

In Barrow-in-Furness, one parent we met through our Thrive Commission had reached her limit. Her daughter’s anxiety and self-harm had taken over daily life, and the stress was affecting the whole family. With support from our South Cumbria partner SAFA, she found space to talk, learn and regain calm. Together, they worked on small, gentle changes that helped restore routine and trust. Over time, the home became more peaceful, and she felt strong enough to return to work.

Barrow is a community full of resilience, but it faces real challenges. Nearly one in five children grows up in a family on a low income, and in some neighbourhoods that rises to one in three. The town also has one of the highest self-harm admission rates in England. For families under pressure, early, compassionate support like Thrive can be life changing.

Across East Lancashire, we’re helping young people manage everyday anxiety through our Safe Hubs. One of them is Ellie, whose worries began to take control of her life. She started leaving class every half hour and stopped spending time with friends. Through the Safe Hubs, she learned how anxiety works and how to calm both her thoughts and her body. Step by step, she rebuilt her confidence and began to enjoy school again.

In Blackburn, mental health issues are more common than the national average, with new depression diagnoses at 3 per cent, nearly double the rate in England. For many young people, having a safe, local space to talk can make a huge difference.

On hospital wards in Blackburn and Blackpool, our Young People on Ward Support project, delivered with Serenity, has provided nearly 2,000 hours of care across 3,500 sessions. Our practitioners assist young people with anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, while also offering space for staff to reflect and prioritise their own wellbeing. Together, we’re creating calmer, more compassionate wards where everyone feels cared for.

And in Blackpool, through the VCSFE Preparing for Transformation Programme, we’re helping to reshape how mental health support is delivered in the community. One young man, Jay, had spent years struggling with anxiety and substance use. With patient, consistent support, he began to rebuild trust, establish a routine and regain a sense of purpose, taking small steps that led to big change.

Across Blackpool, approximately one in five children aged 8 to 16 live with a mental health disorder, and since 2019, social care assessments related to mental health or substance use have more than doubled. The need for coordinated, community-led support has never been clearer.

At Spring North, we’re proud to lead this work across Lancashire and South Cumbria, bringing together people and organisations from the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sectors to ensure help is available when it’s needed most.

This World Mental Health Day, we’re celebrating every individual who has taken that first step: the parent who reached out, the young person who opened up, the staff member who found time to breathe. Because when we support every mind, we strengthen every community.

You can learn more about these stories and the impact behind them in our latest blogs. Click Here