Tyneside and Northumberland Mind is introducing a mental health training course for barbers. The course is designed to give barbers working in Northumberland a better understanding of mental health and how they can play their part in suicide prevention. It will take place on Monday, March 22 between 1pm and 5pm. Northumberland County Councillor Trevor Cessford, who represents Hexham Central with Acomb and is the county council’s mental health ambassador, said: “This is a great initiative being introduced into the county by Tyneside and Northumberland Mind. “It is well known that many people will open up to their barbers and the training will help them spot signs of someone who is suffering from mental health issues.”
Hexham Community Centre volunteers turned out to sing carols and deliver meals on Christmas Day. LIFE has changed beyond recognition for many people over the past year, for organisations as well as individuals. But throughout the past 12 months, Hexham Community Centre has been a beacon of light for those who have needed it the most. The popular venue, on Gilesgate, had already worked hard to get itself on to a sound financial footing before the pandemic struck, with Hexham Youth Initiative, Slimming World, and taekwondo classes among its regular user groups. Yet when usual activities came to a grinding halt last March, Hexham Community Centre evolved to function in a different way to serve the town in the midst of a pandemic.