About our support groups
We run a number of monthly support groups focused around common mental health problems. These groups are facilitated by trained staff and volunteers, with each intended to be a safe, supportive environment in which you are free to talk confidentially and free of judgment.
All of our groups are free to attend. However, registration is required in order to join. Please find the group you’re interested in below and click or tap the ‘Learn more’ button to find out more. Please note: All of our current support groups are delivered in Plymouth only.
All of our support groups are subject to our Support Group Agreement. We kindly request that you familiarise yourself with this document before attending a group.
Current support groups:
Below is the list of our current monthly support groups. Click or tap on a ‘Learn more’ button to find out more about a group:
Anxiety & Depression Support
2nd Wednesday of every month, 1:00pm — 2:30pm
Depression and anxiety are the two predominant mental health problems worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people globally. If you live with either, come along to our monthly Anxiety & Depression Support Group.
Bipolar Support
1st Thursday of every month, 11:00am — 12:30pm
Our monthly Bipolar Support Group is open to anyone in Devon with experience of bipolar disorder, either through personal experience or as a partner, family member, friend, or carer of someone else who lives with the condition.
OCD Support
Last Wednesday of every month, 1:00pm — 2:30pm
If you live with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) or care for someone else who does, our monthly OCD Support Group provides a safe space for you to share your experiences, thoughts, and feelings with others who are living in a similar situation.
Upcoming group sessions:
Please note: There are important changes to our three monthly support groups.
All groups will continue as normal on a monthly basis at Ernest English House until the end of July 2026.
From August 2026, the groups will move to a bi-monthly model, with sessions taking place in September 2026 and November 2026 (venue TBC).
No further decisions have been made about support groups beyond November 2026 while a full review takes place. We are currently exploring a peer support-led model, where groups would be facilitated by trained peer supporters.
We are currently experiencing increasing demand for support across our communities and must regularly review how we use our limited staff time and resources to support as many people as possible.
As part of this review, our aspiration is to develop more accessible weekly mental health drop-ins across Plymouth and the wider county. These drop-in spaces will provide timely support for people who might otherwise face long waits to access help, and will be free and available for anyone to attend on a weekly basis.
All current clients attending our support groups have been notified about these changes. New clients are still welcome to register and attend during this period, and we will shortly announce further details about how to access the new drop-in spaces.
We would like to thank everyone for their continued understanding and support.
Frequently asked questions:
Check out the answers to some common questions below. If you want to ask something else, please contact us.
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All our support groups are free of charge. In order to attend, you will need to register first.
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Unless stated otherwise in the group's description, anyone over 18 years of age is welcome to attend.
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Attendance will likely vary between sessions. However, we anticipate that each group will feature no more than 12 people.
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All our support groups are currently held at Ernest English House, Buckwell Street, Plymouth PL1 2DA.
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Pay and display car parking is available nearby at St Andrew Street/Whimple Street and The Barcode.