SHOPPERS could have been forgiven for rubbing their eyes when they spotted people in pyjamas lying in bed beneath Coleford clock tower.

But there was no sleeping on the job, because the ‘bedsit’ hid a serious message as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The Rollercoaster self-help group were highlighting the support they offer people with mental health issues, as well as asking people what extra help they thought was needed in the community.

Group spokeswoman Sophie Hawkins, who founded Rollercoaster last year, explained: “There’s no judgement in our group, because we’ve all experienced our own issues. We know what other people are going through and just come together and support each other. There’s a real camaraderie.

“Community support is one of the biggest ways forward for mental health help. We know as a group what each person needs. There’s a lot of empathy and understanding in the mental health community, and through a group like ours, it’s great to know you’re not on your own.”

The six-hour ‘bedsit’ took place on Tuesday, May 9, and Sophie added: “We’re wearing our pyjamas because that’s what people do when they are feeling down, they get into their pyjamas and stay in bed. We’re trying to raise the awareness of our group and the issues people face.”

Sophie explained that she launched the group, which is backed by the Independence Trust, the 2gether NHS Trust, the GreenSquare housing, regeneration and social investment group, the Salvation Army, Gloucestershire Police and other organisations after suffering her own issues.

“I realised that there was no support in the area for people like me and there was a real need for it. I spoke to Amanda Hooking, my community support group officer, who thought it was a good idea, and when I got well she put me in touch with James Aldridge, the GreenSquare community group liaison officer in Gloucester.

“We talked about getting a group off the ground, and what events we could hold and then I launched it in March 2016. It’s a peer-led community group run by people who have experi-

enced their own issues.

“Lots of support is needed in the mental health area. It’s particularly lacking between people in crisis and primary health provision.

“You’re trying to get better and a lot of people are just left to fend on their own. It’s a really isolating illness, and people need help to overcome that, which our group can help with.”

Looking to the future, she would love to make Rollercoaster a formal charity and branch out into other districts.

Rollercoaster meets every Tuesday from 1pm to 3pm in Coleford town council’s meeting room.

For more information, contact Sophie on [email protected] or 07471 785068.