Expansion of text line options for suicide prevention charity Mikeysline ahead of World Mental Health day
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Mikeysline has announced that it is now able to offer three further options for people to contact them using a text- based approach.
These include Facebook Messenger, Webchat and Twitter in addition to contacting Mikeysline via SMS text.
The new text number is 07786 207 755.
The enhanced service has come about through the experiences encountered during lockdown where the text line received three times the amount of contacts, but in addition many people, inparticular younger people, tried to get in contact with the charity through other communication channels.
The aim is therefore to make the support service provided by Mikeysline more accessible and available to people of all ages who are experiencing emotional distress or mental health issues and for those in crisis.
The changes are also being made in recognition of the fact that almost five years since the charity started, technological advances have meant that people now wish to communicate in a range of
ways and that SMS text is not always the communication channel of choice.
"At a time when more people are contacting our services and likely to benefit from them, we wanted to ensure that we were offering as many options as possible for people of all ages to access the support in a way that best meets their needs.” - Donna Smith
In modernising the approach and the technology used it has unfortunately not been possible to retain the original text line number, however, a new SMS number is now in place, which people are being urged to add to their contacts and to help spread the word.
Anyone contacting the original number will receive a message advising them of the new number and Mikeysline will also be publicising all the new contact details as widely as possible.
Donna Smith, chairwoman of Mikeysline, said: “We are delighted to be focusing on strengthening whilst preserving the text-based support options that Mikeysline has provided for the last five years.
"At a time when more people are contacting our services and likely to benefit from them, we wanted to ensure that we were offering as many options as possible for people of all ages to access the
support in a way that best meets their needs.”
Emily Stokes, service manager said: “ We are very much aware of the technological changes over the past five years and the various options that people now use to get in contact with others. We wanted to ensure that Mikeysline kept up with these changes, whilst making the support we provide as accessible as possible and we felt that we needed to do that as soon as possible given the current climate. We would hope to continue building on our options in the
future as funding allows.”
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