Big White Wall: Free online mental health resource available to everyone on the Fylde Coast

A free mental health resource for people living with depression and other conditions is now available across the whole of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.

Big White Wall, which is available at www.bigwhitewall.com, provides a clinically safe and anonymous online community providing peer to peer support, personal assessments and self-help courses for those who need it.

And thanks to NHS Blackpool and NHS Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), the service is now available to all people with a Fylde Coast postcode.

Dr Neil Hartley-Smith, a Blackpool GP and clinical adviser to the CCGs, said: “We are committed to supporting people living with mental health on the Fylde Coast by providing varied and high quality services for them to access.

“Big White Wall is a fantastic tool for people who are suffering as they can log in anonymously and express how they are feeling to a community of people who feel the same way.

“And for those who struggle to put how they feel into words, they can ‘draw a brick’ to express the difficulties they are facing, which many people find quite therapeutic and relieving.”

Big White Wall chief executive Henry Jones said: “Everyone has mental health and we believe everyone should be able to access support as and when they need it.

“We are delighted to form part of a joint strategy from NHS Fylde and Wyre and NHS Blackpool CCGs of delivering highly effective and easily accessible support for all Fylde Coast residents. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our community.”

The Big White Wall is constantly monitored by ‘wall guides’ who are on hand 24/7 and will intervene if members seem particularly low and at risk and provide personal support on a one-to-one basis.

Big White Wall also offers members the opportunity to take online tests to measure their anxiety or depression levels to set goals and track their progress.

Online courses with health professionals covering things like sleep problems, stopping smoking and anger management are also available.

For more information or to sign up to Big White Wall quickly, anonymously and free of charge, visit www.bigwhitewall.com