PeerTalk is a national registered charity which offers support to those living with depression or related mental health conditions through peer support group meetings.
This is a Free service. Please just turn up!
We meet in North Shields every Wednesday morning, 11am - 12.30pm at Meadow Well Connected, Waterville Road, North Shields, NE29 6BA.
We also meet in Whitley Bay every Wednesday evening, 7 - 8.30pm at The Big Local, 158 Whitley Road, Whitley Bay, NE26 2LY.
The peer support group is run by trained volunteer facilitators.
The strength of these groups is that the support offered comes from others who know the experience of mental / emotional distress and overwhelm. They are well placed to offer empathy, support, and practical suggestions that might help others.
The purpose of the group is not to ‘treat’ depression, it isn’t therapy, it’s a support group, from which those that come along can draw strength from the knowledge that they’re not alone, aside from the practical help they might receive. Our experience tells us that those who come along find it helpful.
There’s no need for people to be referred, they don’t need to book. They just come along. We let GPs in the area know that we’re there, we also share this information with counsellors, and agencies and organisations that support people with their mental health in the area. Some people are recommended the group by their counsellors, others saw our poster at the mental health centre, others saw it on the noticeboard in their supermarket.
The group meetings last for 90 minutes and there's a cup of tea or coffee afterwards too.
