Mental health support and suicide prevention in the UK

Free UK mental health support lines

These are independent services, not run by HHSS. All of them are free, confidential, and used by thousands of people in the UK every week.

Finding local mental health support near you

All of the lines above cover the whole of the UK, wherever you live. For face-to-face help, local NHS and charity services differ by nation and area:

• England: you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies online without seeing a GP first, and local Mind branches run groups and one-to-one support in most towns and cities.
• Scotland: your GP practice or NHS 24 on 111 is the route into local community mental health teams; Breathing Space is on 0800 83 85 87.
• Wales: ask your GP about a local primary care mental health assessment, or call the CALL Mental Health Helpline on 0800 132 737.
• Northern Ireland: Lifeline is free on 0808 808 8000, 24 hours a day.

Searching for "mental health support near me" plus your town will usually bring up your nearest NHS service and local charities. If you need someone tonight, call Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258 — both are free, 24/7.

How buying HHSS supports Man Down UK

Heavyweight hoodie · £55

£5 donated

Tee · £30

£3 donated

Cap · £22

£2 donated

Car window sticker · £5

£1 donated

The donation is fixed per item and built into the price, so you always know the amount before you order. Read why we give £5 and who the money goes to.

Choosing a hoodie? The Heavyweight hoodie size, fabric and care guide covers M–2XL measurements, what the fleece is made of and how to wash it.

Donation buttons go straight to the charities' own secure pages — HHSS never handles those payments.

Proud to support

Man Down UK

Every penny HHSS donates goes to Man Down UK — a non-profit Community Interest Company offering free, informal peer support to men of all ages, 18+, who are struggling with any kind of mental health issue.

Man Down began in Cornwall in 2019, when the first group opened in Penryn with 8 men in attendance. As demand for men's mental health support has grown, so have they: in 2025 alone over 7,500 men walked through their doors, and since 2024 there are now more than 45 meeting group locations across the UK — all run by brilliant volunteer facilitators.

Sessions are a safe and relaxed environment with no judgement — only support and understanding from people who are there to listen and support you. No referral, no waiting list. A man can just turn up.

Started

Cornwall, 2019

Men through the doors, 2025

7,500+

Groups across the UK

45+

Cost to attend

Free

Find your nearest group · mandown.orgRead the announcement

Suicide prevention & awareness series

A four-part series on suicide prevention hoodies, awareness designs, and how to support someone who is struggling.

1. Part 1

   Suicide prevention hoodie UK: a buyer's guide

   What a suicide prevention hoodie should actually deliver in the UK — fixed donations, real fabric weight, and responsible messaging.

2. Part 2

   Suicide awareness hoodie: what the designs and symbols mean

   What makes a suicide awareness hoodie, what the common designs stand for, and how the HHSS suicide prevention hoodie gives back to Man Down UK.

3. Part 3

   Suicide prevention clothing vs suicide awareness clothing

   The two terms get used interchangeably. They aren't the same thing — and the difference decides whether your money does anything.

4. Part 4

   How to support someone who's struggling (UK guide)

   You don't need the right words. What to ask, what to avoid, and which UK services to point someone toward.

Mental health & self-care series

A nine-part series on looking after your head when you're the sort of person who never does — first steps, daily basics, talking to mates, bad days, work burnout, support networks, sleep, drinking, and how to get professional help in the UK. Read them all on the self-care series page, or view every self-care and prevention post together on the mental health blog feed.

1. Part 1

   Easy self-care tips: 25 simple ideas for bad days

   Beginner-friendly self-care: 25 easy ideas for bad days, the daily tips that actually help, and free UK support if you need to talk to someone.

2. Part 2

   Self-care series 1: where to start when you're not okay

   Part one of the HHSS self-care series. What to do first when things feel heavy, why 'self-care' isn't bubble baths, and where to get real support in the UK.

3. Part 3

   Self-care series 2: the daily basics that actually hold you up

   Sleep, food, movement, daylight and screens. Part two of the HHSS self-care series covers the unglamorous daily habits that do most of the heavy lifting.

4. Part 4

   Self-care series 3: how to talk to your mates about mental health

   Part three of the HHSS self-care series. What to say when you're struggling, what to say when a mate is, and how to ask the awkward question properly.

5. Part 5

   Self-care series 4: a plan for the worst days

   The final part of the HHSS self-care series: how to build a simple bad-day plan before you need it, and the UK numbers to keep in your phone.

6. Part 6

   Self-care series 5: work stress, burnout and knowing when to stop

   Part five of the HHSS self-care series. How burnout actually shows up, the warning signs men tend to ignore, and what you can ask for at work in the UK.

7. Part 7

   Self-care series 6: building a support network before you need one

   Part six of the HHSS self-care series. How to build the handful of people and services you'll lean on later, while things are still fine.

8. Part 8

   Self-care series 7: sleep, the 3am spiral and getting your nights back

   Part seven of the HHSS self-care series. Why your worst thoughts arrive at 3am, what actually helps, and when broken sleep is worth seeing a GP about.

9. Part 9

   Self-care series 8: drinking, numbing out and the Sunday dread

   Part eight of the HHSS self-care series. An honest look at using drink, weed or endless scrolling to take the edge off — and what to do instead.

10. Part 10

    Self-care series 9: how to actually get professional help in the UK

    The final part of the HHSS self-care series. What to say to your GP, how NHS talking therapies self-referral works, and what happens next.

Start with part one: where to start when you're not okay, or read the whole HHSS Journal. See also UK clothing brands that donate to mental health.

Questions

More reading: the mental health hoodie story, anti suicide clothing UK and mental health t-shirts.