UK drinks trade charity launches mental health hotline

UK drinks trade charity The Benevolent has launched a “ground-breaking” counselling helpline for those working in the trade in need of legal, financial, practical or emotional support.

The confidential helpline has been launched by the charity in partnership with Connect Assist, a social enterprise company, and will provide a dedicated counselling service for The Benevolent manned by professional counsellors.

The service will allow members of the UK drinks industry facing difficult circumstances to access help. The service, managed by The Benevolent and administered by Connect Assist, will offer either telephone or face-to-face counselling by professional counsellors to anyone who requires practical, legal or emotional help relating to all types of wellbeing and mental health.

“As the awareness of our support grew within the trade, so did the number and frequency of calls and a large majority of these calls related to wellbeing and personal crises of one sort or another,” said The Benevolent’s chief executive, David Cox.

“We feel this new service is a game-changer for our charity and we can now offer a greatly enhanced level of professional help that reflects the needs of today’s issues and difficulties faced by all members of our trade – young and old. We are very excited about this new service.”

The helpline is now active and available to members of the trade seven days per week from 8am to 8pm and can be accessed on 0800 915 4610.

As part of its launch, the charity has also refreshed its ‘Here to Help’ communications campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of the support available to members of the drinks trade from the charity.

For more information on the type of support The Benevolent is able to offer, and the newly launched helpline, visit www.thebenevolent.org.uk/get-involved/here-to-help-campaign, or contact Alessandra Brugola, marketing and communications manager at alessandra.brugola@thebenevolent.org.uk