What Connect offers
Connect is a telephone and online support helpline open 6pm–2am every night of the year for people living in Leeds. The service provides emotional support and information for people in distress. We receive around 8,000 calls a year. People can ring or access support online who are in crisis, anxious, depressed or lonely. They will be offered non-judgemental and empathic support and information about other services, if requested. Connect supports people in crisis, as well as providing a preventative service, by supporting people before they reach crisis point. Connect also receives funding to provide emotional support to people who are carers.
Connect is staffed by volunteers and paid workers who have gone through a comprehensive and rigorous training programme and receive ongoing supervision, training and support. Many of them have their own experiences of mental health problems. Each shift is supervised by a paid shift coordinator and helpline workers. In 2013 we launched Connect Online, where Leeds’ residents can get support via instant chat.
To access the Connect service:
- Call 0808 800 1212
- Or click the link below for the online service.
You can access the Connect service using the link at the top of this page.
See our other pages describing how we support children and young people in Leeds, aged 11–18 years old and Deaf adults using BSL