FIONA Chaff has a mission to help people with mental health problems in Tenbury and the Teme Valley.

She came to the town 14 months ago from Shetland in the far north of Scotland where she worked at a drop-in centre for people with mental health problems.

Now Fiona wants to bring the same idea to Tenbury in a bid to help fill the gap in the care provided for people with mental illness.

She is appealing for people who would be prepared to help to establish a charity and also to volunteer to help at a drop-in group.

Fiona would also like to hear from people who feel that they would benefit from a chance to socialise.

“There are more people with mental health problems than is often imagined,” said Fiona, who wants to help because of experience of the illness in her own family.

“A chance to meet up and to socialise, to play games and even to have the chance to go on a trip or a holiday can make a lot of difference.

“Mental illness can be very isolating and I know that a group can help people to manage their condition and get better.”

She said that there was a serious shortage of support groups.

“I do not know what we might end up with because first of all I need to get an understanding of the level of demand,” said Fiona.

“There will also be a need for people to help and it will be important to get the right people. It will be an advantage to have some experience of working with people who have mental health problems but that will not be essential.”

Another important issue will be to get funding for the project and this will probably involve setting up a charity along the lines of the scheme in Shetland.

“I think it is highly unlikely that there would be any funding from the NHS and so we will have to find our own money.”

There will be some training available for helpers including suicide intervention.

The government has said that it is giving a higher priority to mental health care but Fiona says that there is a shortage of basic support at the grass roots.

It is a problem that can be worse in rural areas because of the isolation and distance from services.

According to the Mental Health Foundation in any given year one in four adults and one in 10 children will suffer from some kind of mental health problem but only a quarter of them receive treatment leaving the rest to cope on their own.

It is a problem that can range from making life difficult to being life-threatening. More young men who die do so by their own hand than in any other way, including road accidents and cancer.

Mental health issues put a huge strain not just on those who are directly affected but also upon families, friends and carers.

But with proper support and treatment most people with a mental health problem can live a normal life including holding down responsible jobs and good relationships.