Eight Bells for Mental health

Who Are We?

Eight Bells is a friendly, member-led, voluntary group that provides friendship, support, and a listening ear to people experiencing mental health issues in Newbury, Thatcham, and surrounding areas. 

As a member-led group, there are great opportunities to get involved with the running of Eight Bells, from cooking lunch to being part of the management board. We believe in empowering our members, this creates a great atmosphere within the centre; people feel part of a community. People aren’t told what to do here, rather they are involved in deciding how things are done.

How we support you?

Eight Bells for Mental Health provides support for up to 100 people living across West Berkshire whose lives are affected by mental health issues. We strive to offer a safe, supportive and welcoming environment at our Drop-In Centre which is based close to Newbury Town Centre. Our friendly social sessions are open every Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and include activities such as Art, Creative Crafts, Movement Classes, Garden Activities and Gardening. 

Members are provided with a hot lunch every Monday and Thursday, enjoy a variety of day trips out, and have a beautiful garden area to enjoy.

There is an increasing demand on our coordinators for advocacy and help with referrals for specialised mental health support, benefits, and housing.  This is a large and ever-increasing part of our coordinator's workload and includes supporting members with benefit assessments and interviews with housing services, helping people access the CMHT, as well as giving emotional support. We also have several trained peer supporters, who help with signposting members to appropriate services.

We also work alongside several other local charities and community groups, including Recovery in Mind, Loose Ends, West Berkshire Homeless, and Newbury Soup Kitchen

We also run the separate Eight Bells Community Strength project, funded by West Berkshire Council, supporting volunteers working in their local communities, to reduce social isolation and feelings of loneliness whilst empowering individuals and communities to connect and build skills.

Our drop-in sessions are:

Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays 9am to 4pm.

Hot lunches are served every Monday and Thursday for just £1 for a two-course meal.

Complimentary hot and cold drinks are available all day at each session.

High-speed broadband and laptops are available for members to use.

Prize Bingo and Quizzes at every session 

Our Coordinators Steph and Claire are running 1-1 appointments for specific advocacy and support at The Meeting House, 1, Highfield Avenue, Newbury throughout the week. These must be booked in advance.

Our phone and email address are manned during the following times:

Weekdays 9 am - 4 pm
Weekends Closed