In November 2024, Mark Doodson was at ‘his lowest’, feeling deeply isolated and suicidal.
He was living in temporary hotel accommodation with no cooking or washing facilities, struggling with homelessness and housing insecurity.
Mark, from Stockton Heath, was frequently contacting Samaritans and the mental health crisis team because he didn’t know where to turn.
They suggested that Directions for Men – a group that provides support for men to come and talk about their mental health – that operates out of the Living Well Hub which is home to 25 organisation with more than 350 staff, providing a range of NHS and non-clinical services under one roof.
“I didn’t know what to do because I’d never been in this situation in my life,” Mark told the Warrington Guardian.
“You don’t know what mental health is until you hit that low point.
“I went from having everything to nothing and I was suicidal, I was shutting myself away.
“I got the courage to leave the house and ended up coming to the Living Well Hub.
“The team were so welcoming, and they made me feel at home. I came in and sat there and just listened.”
When Mark, 55, first attended the Horsemarket Street hub, he was anxious and would barely speak to anyone.
But after three or four weeks, this changed after the team gained his trust.
He said: “I didn’t trust anybody and when you’re a man, you think in your head that you’re weak and you feel bad for it.
“But I found the courage after four weeks to speak out about my situation and it is the best thing I have ever done in my life.
(Image: Supplied)
“It saved me – this place saved me and my mental health.
“Since, I have been coming in each week and improving every time.”
Instead of facing formal clinical appointments across town, Mark could access multiple forms of support under one roof.
Directions for Men offered mental health support, Food Bank access met his immediate nutritional needs, and the Diabetes Clinic and lifestyle advisor helped him manage his physical health and regain control. Housing guidance further reduced uncertainty about the future, giving him the confidence to move forward.
And the hub is now a place where Mark feels safe and supported. Not only does he still seek help for his mental and physical health, but he attends coffee mornings and even volunteers at the hub – supporting other people with their mental health.
He believes he wouldn’t be in the position he is in today if it weren’t for all of the services being under one roof at the hub.
“There are all different organisations that will help you,” he continued.
“Everybody in here will go out of their way and find support for you, they will never turn you away.”
The Living Well Hub has recently celebrated its two-year anniversary.
When it first opened, it was seeing around 200 people a month come through the doors. But that has now increased significantly, with the hub welcoming more than 55,000 people in two years.
Emma Whaley, general manager at the hub, said: “What began as like a pioneering, place-based, being hope has evolved into a broader, connected system that brings together physical spaces, neighbourhood outreach, and digital access to support residents, health, and wellbeing.
“I feel like the hub’s going from, like, strength to strength. I’m incredibly proud of what’s been achieved.
“Mark had a lot of things going on when he first came to us in November 2024 and he has said that he wouldn’t have had the motivation to access all of these services if they weren’t under one roof.
“What is crucial in this hub is that once you are in, you build trust with people in what we describe as a warm and welcoming space where you then feel like you can access a range of services.”