A COMMUNITY has paid tribute to a local charity that has served it tirelessly for nearly 30 years.

The staff of Ulverston Mind, a mental health charity, have been nominated for a Hearth of Ulverston Award.

The charity has been running since 1988 and has in that time helped thousands of people struggling with mental health problems.

One of the trustees of the charity, Elizabeth Jones, 70, of Croftlands, Ulverston, spoke about the charity being nominated.

She said: "I'm extremely pleased, just thrilled. Apart from anything else it feels like an acknowledgement of the work we do.

"I know that mental health isn't a sexy issue to people but it does affect one in four people in the UK."

It is this figure, and the knowledge so many people will at some point in their life be affected by mental health issues, that keeps the organisation driving forwards.

Over the past year the charity has seen a large increase in the number of people coming in to talk about their issues.

"Over the last few years particularly numbers have gone up dramatically," Mrs Jones said.

"People know someone will listen, and that someone will know more about mental health. There is now an increased awareness of mental health issues."

Ulverston Mind deals with a range of mental health issues on a daily basis.

Counsellors have dealt with issues as varied as anxiety and depression, trouble dealing with bills or homelessness to post-natal depression.

The charity has also seen in increase in mental health problems stemming from unemployment.

Mrs Jones said: "A huge number of benefits issues are brought up. You get a lot from the jobcentre who are depressed."

The importance of charities like Mind was recognised when in 2015 it was awarded £400,000 in funding to support mothers suffering from post-natal depression.

Mrs Jones said: "Mothers are afraid that their children are going to be taken away from them if they admit they are depressed. There is a stigma of being a bad mother."

Breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health is one of the most important objectives of the group.

By making people aware mental health issues affect one in four people in the UK, they can begin a dialogue that takes away the perceived shame of suffering from a mental illness.

Head to www.nwemail.co.uk to nominate a person or group that you feel deserves recognition for their work in Ulverston.

Click here to nominate someone you think deserves to be recognised with a Heart of Ulverston Award, it only takes five minutes to complete the form!

Read about the Ulverston couple that are making a positive impact on the lives of people in their community