A new mental health website created in St Helens is launching to give local people a simple, accessible place to turn when they need help – whether that is right now, in the middle of the night, or when they are ready to seek support.
Sometimes.info has been created with a simple idea at its heart: sometimes you just need a minute.
The website has been designed to be different from traditional mental health and self-help websites, recognising that when someone is struggling, they may not immediately want to call a crisis service or navigate complicated information.
Instead, Sometimes gives people a clear starting point, asking: “What do you need help with right now?”
Visitors can choose between Help Myself and Help Someone Else, with information covering crisis help, instant help, local support in St Helens, and practical advice on supporting someone experiencing difficulties with their mental health.
The site has been deliberately designed with accessibility in mind, including consideration of people who are neurodiverse or dyslexic. Its dark colour palette has also been chosen to make the website easier on the eyes, particularly for people accessing it at night when they may be awake and struggling.
Sally Yeoman MBE, Chief Executive of Halton and St Helens VCA, said:
“We are really proud and pleased to have worked alongside St Helens Public Health on the creation of Sometimes.info. It is a great example of what can be achieved when local organisations work together, listen to local people and focus on making support easier to find and access.
“Mental health support can sometimes feel difficult to navigate, particularly when someone is already feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes.info provides a simple, local place to start, whether someone is looking for help for themselves or wants to support someone they care about.
“We are delighted to have played a part in bringing this resource to life and hope it will make a real difference to people across St Helens.”
Sometimes.info was founded by Nicola Doyle and developed in St Helens, for St Helens. The small project team worked for several months with local people and services to co-produce the site, ensuring that it reflected what local people actually need when they are experiencing difficulties with their mental health.
Nicola Doyle, founder of Sometimes.info, said:
“The idea behind the name Sometimes is that you might not need the site all the time. It’s there for when you do.
“Sometimes came from looking at how people could find mental health support in St Helens in a different way. As someone who has experienced low mood myself, I wanted to create one space where people could find help for themselves or someone else, while also offering something often missing from other mental health websites: Instant Help. Things you can try for yourself, before you need to contact a mental health crisis service.
Among its features, the site uses a darker colour scheme designed to be easier on the eyes for those accessing support late at night or in the early hours of the morning, recognising that many people seek help during quieter moments when they may be feeling most isolated.
“Co-production was also important to the project. I made the decision early on that the pages should be written with local services and by people with lived experience. This means the site brings together professional knowledge and real experience from people in St Helens.”
The project has been funded by St Helens Borough Council Public Health, which is supporting the development of resources that make it easier for local people to access mental health support and help prevent suicide in the borough.
Sometimes also recognises that supporting someone else can be difficult. Its Help Someone Else section provides guidance on keeping someone safe, supporting them and looking after your own wellbeing too.
The website provides information about mental health conditions, practical things people can do to help themselves, and services available locally.
Its creators hope it will be particularly useful for people who are not yet ready to access formal support, as well as those looking for immediate information or trying to find out what help is available locally.
The message behind the website is deliberately simple: people don't have to have everything figured out before they ask for help.
Nicola added:
“Sometimes is there for when you need it. You might need something you can try for yourself, help for someone else, or help finding local support. You don't have to know exactly what you need before you start looking. You might find something along the way that you didn't know could help.”
“If Sometimes helps someone feel a little better, understand what they’re feeling, support someone they care about, or find help when they need it, then it’s doing what I wanted it to do.”
Sometimes.info is now available at sometimes.info.
Immediate help
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.
For mental health crisis advice, call NHS 111.
You can also contact Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night.