Our lines are open Monday to Friday 8pm to Midnight and Saturday/Sunday 4pm until Midnight.
If our lines are closed, you can always call 999 or 111 or visit the following links:
SOS began as a social support group in 2015, founded by Michael Mansfield and his wife Yvette, following personal losses to suicide. They decided the elephant in the room needed to be discussed openly to help fight shame, stigma and silence surrounding mental health and suicide.
Being a small charity brings huge challenges, not least, being able to serve the huge demand we’ve seen for our phone support services since they started in August 2020 and especially now we are rolling out our face to face events – a welcome comeback for meetings that proved hugely successful and very well attended.
SOS advocates for compassion in society to encourage understanding, tolerance and kindness. Our SOS helpline number is always open if you’re having thoughts of suicide and need urgent support
Our vision is to help drive a reduction in suicide rates by working with organisations, charities, individuals and communities, offering support, guidance & empowerment to those in need, or in crisis, whilst reducing the shame, stigma and silence that is all too prevalent in society
WE WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY OUR PART IN AIMING TO REDUCE SUICIDE RATES ACROSS THE UK
2025 will be a year of significant progression and change for SOS. We have very ambitious and exciting plans that will affect everyone we support for the better.
We have a new investing partner coming on board, and we will also be opening our first ever SOS Hub – a place of safety and company for anyone who’s vulnerable.We’ll be expanding into local communities, aiming to work with displaced and disadvantaged people, as well as turning our standard rate phone line into a freephone number. That, along with bespoke training courses unique to SOS and our desire to increase our phone line hours along with our free face to face meetings means there should be a type of support to suit everyone.
Please check this website for updates in the New Year.
Charities are doing an amazing job supporting as many people as possible. But with stretched resources and clinical expertise and resources not necessarily available within charities, it is essential that access to the right NHS services which offer continuity and consistency have increased funding and staffing.
More money needs to be allocated towards mental health; not just that, it’s important that the right, fully trained and dedicated clinicians are available to those who need them.
Waiting lists are currently too long and for some, too late. Poor mental health and feelings of suicide do not go away over night and patients deserve help when they need it, not when the system decides to give them long overdue access.
This country should, and could, be doing much better in the adequate provision of mental health care
Get behind your local, smaller charities who are struggling to support increasing numbers of vulnerable children and adults due to the lack of appropriate services and the ‘heat or eat’ crisis currently hitting huge numbers of people and families throughout the UK
Every day at SOS we are contacted by people who are struggling, those who are bereaved and those who have been waiting for the appropriate assessment and care for far too long. For some, access to care comes too late.
This is not a criticism of those who work within the NHS – they work tirelessly and often without thanks doing one of the most demanding jobs there is. But just like the population, they are tired. We are all tired of the failures to address and implement proper care within the NHS system. Mental health is just one of the areas of concern, but it appears to be one of the least invested in, as always, the one that ‘can wait’. The structure is broken.
Luckily, charities are here to help support people let down by the system, people who feel they have nowhere to turn, who need help because there problems are too large and complex to handle by themselves.
We want to hear your stories, particularly if you feel you have been let down, forgotten abandoned or not treated with the level of compassion and humanity you deserve.
Our aim is to put a collection together that can be utilised to put pressure on Government and NHS Trusts to put mental health patients at least on an equal footing to other patients. People talking about their lived experiences, whether they are in the past or ongoing, whether it’s about themselves or someone they know, all of these experiences are important and should be catalogued.
If you’d like to help with our project, please email in the strictest confidence to contact@new-sos.0393924.com and we will get back to you.
Becoming an SOS Partner means joining a movement that cares deeply about the wellbeing of individuals and communities. As a partner, you’ll help us:Raise Awareness: Spread the message that it’s okay to talk about mental health and ask for help.Take Action: Support SOS in delivering vital initiatives like our Mobile Wellbeing Hubs, which bring care directly to those in need.Create Change: Reduce the strain on NHS mental health services by ensuring that accessible, community-focused support is available when it’s most needed.
Help us find out what works and what doesn’t so we can reach everyone who might need our help. Thank you for your time.
You can learn more about our mission and values by clicking on explore more, by exploring our website further, and also by reading our constitution found in the footer below.
SOS are blessed with a team of passionate, skilled and driven individuals, all of whom align with our charitable aims. Click below to learn more about the people behind the names.
SOS is lucky to have had the support of many organisations, businesses and individuals as our journey expands and continues. Learn more below.
