Support organisations
Housing support
Emergency housing
If you need somewhere to live, have a problem with where you live or might be made homeless, these charities and organisations can help:
Call the emergency national helpline if you are homeless, have nowhere to stay tonight, are worried about losing your home, or are at risk of harm or abuse in your home.
0808 800 4444
The Support Centre for any adult in Birmingham that faces homelessness.
0121 766 1700
Birmingham City Council
Homelessness services in Birmingham are available 24/7 over the telephone.
Speak to a housing adviser – 0121 303 7410. Select option 3.
Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Outside office hours: 0121 303 2296.
Newtown Housing Options Centre
There is a limited capacity walk-in service at the Newtown Housing Options Centre. The capacity is usually reached early in the day. This may mean you will not be able to enter the building and will be asked to use the telephone service instead.
Address: New Aston House, Newtown Shopping Centre, Newtown, Birmingham, B19 2SW.
A UK search engine organisation for supported housing help and information hub.
0121 729 9446
Housing Associations
Accord Housing Association – 0300 111 7000
Birmingham Civic Housing Association – 0121 382 5105
Bordesley green housing co-operative limited – 0121 764 3808
Midland Heart – 0345 602 0540
Drug and alcohol services
It can feel hard to ask for help for drug and alcohol problems. This may feel especially difficult if you also struggle with your mental health. But there are ways to get treatment and support for both.
CGL is a free and confidential drug and alcohol service for adults and affected others in Birmingham. CGL provide treatment and recovery services to support anyone experiencing difficulties with drugs and/or alcohol including confidential advice and information, care packages, healthcare clinics, residential detox, housing support, detox in a box, aftercare and family support.
Telephone: 0121 227 5890
Solihull Integrated Addiction Service (SIAS)
Treatment for adults and young people struggling with struggling with alcohol, drug or gambling addiction who live in Solihull.
Telephone: 0121 3014141
Confidential drugs information and advice.
Telephone: 0300 123 6600
DRUGWISE is a website that promotes evidence-based information on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. It is a useful source of information which you can use to support you with giving accurate advice to patients.
Drink Aware is a website that offers tools, advice, and support to help you make better choices about drinking.
Alcohol Change UK is a leading UK alcohol charity, formed from the merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK.
Quit smoking NHS local stop smoking services are free, friendly and can massively boost your chances of quitting for good. These services staffed by expert advisers provide a range of proven methods to help you quit.
They’ll give you accurate information and advice, as well as professional support, during the first few months you stop smoking. They also make it easy and affordable for you to get stop smoking treatments, such as nicotine replacement therapy.
Mutual aid groups
Mutual aid groups utilise peer support, which is when people with similar experiences come together to help and inspire each other. There are many different types of mutual aid groups:
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) describes its purpose as: If you have a problem with drugs, we are recovering drug addicts who can help you get and stay clean. The below website provides more information about NA. It can also be used to find local meetings that people interested in NA can attend:
NA’s helpline is open 10:00 – 00:00 daily. Their telephone number is: 0300 999 1212.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) describes its purpose as: AA is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help. The below link provides more information about AA. It can also be used to find local meetings that people interested in AA can attend:
AA’s helpline is open 10:00 – 22:00 daily. Their telephone number is: 0800 917 7650.
Cocaine Anonymous (CA) describes its purpose as: A fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances.
The below link provides more information about CA. It can also be used to find local meetings that people interested in CA can attend:
CA’s helpline is open 10:00 – 22:00 daily. Their telephone number is: 0800 612 0225.
SMART Recovery describes its purpose as: To empower people with practical skills, tools, and support so that they may manage their addictive behaviour and lead satisfying and meaningful lives. The below link provides more information about SMART Recovery. It can also be used to find local meetings that people interested in SMART Recovery can attend
Money advice and employment support
Benefits – financial support from the government
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
A benefit for people who need help with daily activities or getting around because of their mental health condition or physical disability.
Telephone: 0800 587 0932
Universal Credit
A benefit for low income or unwell people who cannot work.
Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Employment support allowance (ESA)
A benefit for people who have limited ability to work because of their health condition or disability.
Telephone: 0800 055 6688
Benefit calculator.
You can also ask your Care Coordinator or Social worker if you have one for support.
General advice
Telephone: 0800 144 8848
This includes budgeting advice.
Mind Finances
Telephone: 0300 123 3393
Mental Health and Money advice
Employment support
Job Centre New Claim (includes Employment Support Allowance new claims)
Telephone: 0800 055 6688
Employment support
Supporting people with mental health needs and learning difficulties and disabilities to secure opportunities for volunteering, training and education and progress them towards paid employment.
Telephone: 0121 773 1455
National Debtline
Telephone: 0808 808 4000
A charity that provides free debt advice, they can support you to make a debt management plan and provide overall money advice.
Telephone: 0800 138 1111
Community organisations
Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs
The Birmingham Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub service is a combined service delivered through a partnership lead by Birmingham Mind with Creative Support.
The new service operates around four Recovery Hubs based in Erdington, Handsworth, Yardley and Northfield. They also provide wellbeing sessions across three venues in Solihull.
Each hub offers one-to-one recovery support planning, recovery-focused activities and support to develop peer-led support networks and groups. The Recovery Hubs also offer a variety of structured courses and activities to support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Support is available via face-to-face sessions in the hubs, online sessions, but also via private peer social media groups and outdoor sessions (using parks and garden space).
Call 0121 262 3555 or email mhwh@birminghammind.org
TWR is a health and wellbeing directory specifically dedicated for the people of Birmingham and Solihull. TWR provides you with links to hundreds of Birmingham and Solihull based services that can help you take more control of your own health and wellbeing. If you need to find services that provide housing, or welfare benefit advice, or educational support, or employment support, safeguarding links or knowledge about faith organisations.
Birmingham and Solihull is an exciting new initiative which places information about local community-based services at the fingertips of health professionals, other local support agencies and the general public. The site is different from existing directories, as it allows users to set their own location and search from a wide range of services which are specifically local to them.
Men’s Sheds are kitted out community spaces where men can enjoy practical hobbies. They’re about making friends, learning and sharing skills. Many guys come just for the tea and banter – everyone’s welcome.
Telephone: 0300 772 9626
Email: admin@ukmsa.org.uk
A friendly college providing residential adult education courses in Birmingham. Examples of courses include.
- Academic and Careers Skills
- Access to Higher Education diplomas
- Functional Skills
- Personal and Social Development
- Sustainable Thinking and Action
- Working and Volunteering with People
Telephone: 0121 472 0116
Email: enquiries@fircroft.ac.uk
The Warm Welcome campaign exists to turn poverty and isolation into warmth and welcome through the power of local Spaces made by and for the community. By working together, Warm Welcome will ensure everyone has somewhere warm and friendly to go, so no one is ever left to get through winter alone. Warm Welcome is a seasonal campaign. It begins when the clocks go back at the end of October, and the cold and dark days and nights draw in. Our campaign closes when the clocks leap forward in March, signalling the start of Spring and brighter days ahead.
Warm Welcome Spaces come in all shapes and sizes: community centres, libraries, churches, community cafes, arts centres, local businesses, and schools. No matter where they are based, you can be assured of a warm and friendly welcome. Every Warm Space is unique and offers different kinds of support and activities.
Are you looking for help to get out of debt, find a job, manage your money or gain vital life skills? We provide a range of free services across the UK to help you get to where you want to be in life.
Other support
How to get urgent mental health help
Physical health and activities
Are you feeling anxious, stressed or depressed?
Birmingham MIND talking spaces service – is to provide a safe, welcoming place where people can go outside of normal working hours, instead of A&E or other urgent services, if they are feeling emotionally distressed or are in a mental health crisis.
Every Mind Matters – Find your little big thing for your mental health. There are little things we can all do to lift our mood or ease our anxiety – we need to find what works for us. This could be as simple as taking a walk in nature, prioritising our sleep or opening up to a friend. Our little thing, if we keep doing it, will make a big difference to how we feel. See the website for wellbeing tips.
