Mental health support group TakeTen relaunches at new hub in Dewsbury

TakeTen was launched on May 16, 2018 and was founded by Stevie Morley, as a much needed support group for mental health issues.

Stevie, having gone through her own mental health struggles, wanted to turn her negative experiences into something positive.

Originally, Stevie started a group on Facebook called “My Story Isn't Over Yet”; which has helped people from all over the world. This venture made Stevie realise something closer to home was urgently needed as so many people were struggling in silence.

Stevie said: “I had an episode where I ended up in hospital, while I was laid there I just thought to myself, something has got to change.

“I realised the public support was just not there for people who have acute mental illness that fires like mine does, so I decided to set up TakeTen.

“We originally started with around 30 regulars that would attend the meetings and it just grew and grew and grew. But unfortunately Covid-19 hit and we lost our hub in Batley.

“I still worked during the pandemic because there was no way I was going to take a step back from the work we were doing. All of a sudden Covid-19 became the pandemic that was killing everybody but suicide always has.

“The landlord who we now rent our Dewsbury hub from originally contacted us and said ‘look we want to help you’.

“The opening of our new hub means we can now relaunch our monthly suicide post-prevention meeting, our weekly Wednesday drop-ins and gives us a space for our youth group, which is aimed at 16-24 year olds.

“We're going to work together, and learn from each other because it's a journey that everyone takes differently. As long as people are together and know that they are not alone, then that's the important thing.”

As well as organising the relaunch, Stevie also won the Yorkshire Choice volunteer of the year award 2021.

Stevie “couldn’t get her head around” that she had won the award and said: “I never thought I would win something like that. Even now it is crazy to think that it’s even been part of this journey.

“TakeTen is far greater than I ever thought it was going to be. It was never meant to be the extent of what it is, it was just meant to be a Wednesday drop in every now and again and now I am a voluntary service in the community, doing the right thing for our people.”

TakeTen also wanted to give a special thanks to Alex Shaw and the Saville Arms Football Club for their fundraising efforts. The football club pledged to support TakeTen after young football player Saul Lee tragically took his own life last year and has helped raise vital funds for the group.

TakeTen’s new hub will be opening on February 23 and will be located on Whitehall Way, Dewsbury, WF13 1QX.

For more information on TakeTen and the relaunch, visit: https://www.taketen-mentalhealth.co.uk/about-us/