The activities are taking place at GATHER in the Dolphin, Poole, and offer a range of free support for the local community during Mental Health Awareness Week. Dorset Mind’s expert training team will focus on coping strategies for both adults and young people to help support their mental wellbeing.

There is a quiet area should people want a confidential area to talk to a member of the team.

On Wednesday, there will be one-hour hour training sessions with freelance trainers to explore the current issues impacting people’s wellbeing, and ways of reframing thinking patterns.

On Thursday, visitors to The Dolphin will be able to talk to the charity’s practitioners and get information about local mental health organisations and support networks. Active Monitoring practitioners will be on hand to talk about their new 1-2-1 service for young people that can be delivered in schools, GP surgeries or online.

On Saturday, Dorset Mind will provide cost of living and mental health. This will be supported by BCHA charity and local organisations.

On Sunday, Young Dorset Mind trustee Calvin Glen will host a free Music and Mindfulness workshop. Adults and young people will have the opportunity to listen to and create music while exploring mindfulness and meditation practices.

Dorset Mind’s CEO, Linda O’Sullivan, said: “Anxiety is a natural human response prompted by feeling under threat. It can impact so many people within a community and be a challenging topic for people to talk openly about. Unsurprisingly, it’s a hot topic as people struggle to pay bills and make ends meet.

“Being able to partner with The Dolphin in Mental Health Awareness Week allows us to directly speak to local residents and let them know what support is available for them. We hope to raise awareness of our services and the local support that can help people focus on positive coping strategies to help them live mentally healthy.”

Spaces for each session are limited so pre-booking is essential to avoid disappointment. For details and to sign up, visit: https://shorturl.at/glvS2