Non-judgemental mental health group 'saving lives'

Fiore Sannio said B Positive Bedford was all about helping others

A free and non-judgemental weekly mental health support group is helping to "save lives", its founder has said.

B Positive Bedford, which was started in January by Fiore Sannio, 52, an approved mental health professional, has about 20 people attending its weekly sessions.

He said he wanted people to know that "it's OK not being OK", and that "it's about listening and helping where we can".

One person who attends said they were previously "in despair" but, since joining, "I now have purpose in my life".

The group sessions can get very creative, and a laughing yoga session is planned

Mr Sannio said he started the group as a way of "paying it forward".

It meets every Thursday between 19:30 and 21:30 BST at St Andrew's Church, Bedford.

"What makes us different [is] it's not a clinical setting. The group decides how it's run," he said.

"It's relaxed, you can talk openly, you can drop in for five minutes. We're a laid-back, easy-going group and there's no pressure to come every week."

Fiore Sannio (right) said members of the group shared their experiences

The people helped by the group wanted to remain anonymous, but they were full of praise for it.

One of them said: "Since coming, I have become less anxious and feel supported," while another said: "B Positive has made a real change in my life. I feel happier and feel more confident in my community."

Another comment was: "I was in despair before I came to the group. Since being here I now have purpose in my life," and someone else said: "I had been on antidepressants for a long time. I noticed a B Positive Bedford poster at the GP surgery. Since I have been coming to the group I have stopped taking those tablets, and now my mental health is the best it has ever been."

Fiore Sannio said the group was all about people talking to each other and forming new friendships

Mr Sannio said he wanted to run the group, which he self-finances, for as long as he could, and he hoped to apply for grants so it could "do more".

"At the time I set it up, I thought if I've helped one person I've achieved what I wanted to achieve," he said.

"Hearing people tell me 'This group has saved my life' is heart-touching. It's fantastic.

"No one asks a silly question or has a silly idea. It's about listening and helping where we can."

There are problem-solving and team-building activities, and the group is due to hold a talent show