Phone: 01634 962022

Email: info@sunlighttrust.org.uk

Opening hours: 6pm-11pm

Address: 105 Richmond Rd, Gillingham, ME7 1LX

Are you feeling distressed, frightened, overwhelmed, or that things are too much for you? Don’t know where to turn to get mental health support? Are your usual sources of support closed for the night?

Gillingham Safe Haven offers out-of-hours mental health support to anyone aged 18+ in the Kent area.

Calls and emails will be answered by staff during Haven opening hours. You may call and leave a message at any other time of day, and these will be picked up and responded to as soon as possible during opening hours.

What can you expect from us:

This is a walk-in service – there’s no need to be referred by your GP or Care Coordinator. The Gillingham Safe Haven offers a welcoming, safe, comfortable, non-judgmental and non-clinical environment, sometimes known as ‘crisis cafes’. At the Safe Haven, we will be able to provide information and emotional support if you are in crisis or feel you are heading towards a crisis situation.

You can come just for a chat, or you can access one-to-one emotional support from trained mental health professionals. We also offer help in creating staying well and crisis plans, and support visitors to access other services and organisations that may be useful to them.

We work closely with GPs, Community Mental Health Teams, Crisis Teams, A&E Mental Health Liaison Teams, Police and Ambulance Services, Street Triage, and other front-line healthcare professionals to ensure that people in emotional distress have a safe, supportive place to go to, with appropriate mental health support available.

Anyone aged 18 and over can access the haven; you do not need a formal referral. You can choose how to receive support from our staff, either face to face, phone calls, email or video consultation. People using the Gillingham Safe Haven will also be supported by our 24/7 helpline, which offers access to emotional support and information even when the Safe Haven is closed.

Please note: The Haven is not suitable for people needing urgent medical attention (for example, after self-harm). For urgent medical care please attend your nearest A&E or call 999. Please be mindful that if your behaviour is inappropriate and/or negatively impacting the safety and wellbeing of others using the service, you may be turned away.