Backing for charity's Families in Mind project

The service opened in July 2018 to support those who are relative of serving personnel and reservists.

The local mental health charity offers talking therapies to parents, siblings, partners and other family members over the age of 18, who have been affected by their relative serving in the armed forces. They are also starting a support group for family members to meet others in a similar situation, later this year.

Keeping Families in Mind's project coordinator, Samantha Mulholland, said: 'Military life can have various benefits as well as difficulties for the serving member but sometimes it can be easy to forget about the people they leave behind.

'Family members trying to deal with everyday life have to cope with extra pressures of military life, such as extra responsibilities, worrying about loved ones and loneliness.'

Sheffield Mind CEO, Margaret Lewis, added: 'In developing the service, we were helped by many organisations and individuals in South Yorkshire, including Coun Tony Damms and Fayzeh Mohammed from the Armed Forces Covenant Board and Retired Major Charlie Helmns from the Yorkshire Regiment, British Army, all of whom were keen to see a service of this type available in the city.'

Sheffield Mind has over 40 year experience of delivering support services to people in the city with mental health issues.

Amongst the other services provided by the charity, are weekly peer support groups, a support and recovery service providing practical and emotional support to people in their homes, and an extensive training programme, as well as relevant information, advice and, most crucially, support.

Visit www.sheffieldmind.co.uk for full details of the service.

Alternatively, call project coordinator Samantha on 0114 2584489 with any questions.