Safe Havens – Mental health crisis support available every evening
If you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious or things are getting too much, you're not alone, and you don't have to cope by yourself.
Safe Havens are warm and welcoming places for anyone aged 18 or over who needs urgent mental health support. They are open every day from 6pm to 11pm, including weekends and bank holidays. There’s no need for a referral or appointment, just walk in or join us online.
What is a Safe Haven?
Safe Havens are supportive, non-clinical spaces where trained staff are available to help if you're struggling with your mental health.
- Free and confidential support
- A calm, safe and welcoming space
- Open every evening from 6pm to 11pm
- No referral or appointment needed
- Peer support from people who have experienced mental health issues (where available)
- Support available in person or online
You can visit a Safe Haven if you:
- Are aged 18 or over
- Live in Surrey or North East Hampshire
- Are experiencing emotional distress or a mental health crisis
- Are a carer who needs support
Our team is here to help, whether you want to talk, rest, or simply feel safe for a while.
When you arrive at a Safe Haven:
- You’ll be welcomed by a member of the team
- We’ll ask a few simple questions to understand how to support you
- You can speak to a registered mental health practitioner or peer support worker
- The environment is quiet, non-clinical and supportive
- You can stay as long as you need during our opening hours
You don’t need to bring anything, and you won’t be rushed or judged.
Opening times and locations
We run five Safe Havens across Surrey and North East Hampshire, in partnership with local mental health charities. Safe Havens are open every day of the year, including bank holidays.
Opening hours: 6pm to 11pm
In-person locations:
-
Aldershot (run by Andover Mind and Catalyst)
-
Epsom (run by Mary Francis Trust)
-
Guildford (run by Catalyst)
-
Redhill (run by Waythrough)
- Woking (run by Catalyst)
If you can't attend in person, you can join a Virtual Safe Haven from your phone, tablet or computer.
Join a virtual Safe Haven
If you’re unable to visit in person, you can access the service online through our secure video platform, Attend Anywhere.
Virtual Safe Havens are available for each location, open every day from 6pm to 11pm.
You’ll speak with the same trusted team of nurses and mental health workers who support people in person.
You can use the Virtual Safe Haven if:
- You’re in crisis and can’t leave home
- You’re a carer and unable to leave the person you support
- You live in a remote area or have difficulty with transport
Accessing virtual Safe Havens
To use the virtual service, you’ll need a device with a camera and either Google Chrome or Safari browser.
Guildford - Virtual Safe Haven
Aldershot - Virtual Safe Haven
To support you in getting set up with virtual consultations, the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People has produced these useful guides:
What people say about Safe Havens
“I came here tonight after having a really stressful evening/day, intrusive thoughts, bad memories and a desire to self-harm. After speaking with someone for 30 minutes, I have some ideas on how to manage and stay safe, and I feel better for being supported by someone who cares and listens.”
“The recovery staff and nurse practitioner have been constructively supportive to me over a particularly distressing time. I'm very grateful to them.”
“I didn't know about this service, but it was a real find. What a worthwhile job you do!”
Watch: What it's like to visit a Safe Haven
"A lot of people struggling with their mental health don't know Safe Havens exist. I don't want them to sit at home and struggle. I want them to know we're here to help."
In this short video, members of the Safe Haven team explain how the service works, what to expect, and why it could help you or someone you care about.
Irene Pabum Pim (Mental Health Nurse):
A lot of people struggling with their mental health do not know that Safe Haven exists.
My name is Irene Pabum Pim and I’m a mental health nurse.
Zoe (Mental Health Crisis Worker, Andover Mind):
So my name is Zoe and I work for Andover Mind at the Safe Havens. I’m a mental health crisis worker.
Safe Havens basically is a crisis support service that offers support for clients struggling with mental health difficulties.
We run every evening, 365 days a year.
When you arrive at the Safe Haven, someone will greet you, take the time to just take your details — a bit of information from you — and really to invite you in to talk about what’s going on for you in that moment in time.
But really, the hope is that we can send you home feeling safe, feeling heard, and feeling cared for.
The Safe Haven welcomes anybody that’s over the age of 18. It’s mostly people who struggle with their mental health — normally struggling with their mood, depression, anxiety or even psychosis.
Irene:
Yeah, Safe Haven is unique because it’s a quiet environment. No waiting times. You come in — very friendly staff — and we see you most of the time as soon as you come in.
Zoe:
It really is a therapeutic space. It’s not a clinical space. People can come in and not feel that things are going to be reported back to services that maybe would make them feel anxious.
We have five Safe Havens in Surrey and Borders and we work with mental health charities in all of them.
If you’re thinking about coming to use the Safe Haven, then do it. I would encourage everyone to come — whether you are in crisis or you need mental health support.
Irene:
A lot of people struggling with their mental health do not know that Safe Haven exists.
I do not want them to sit at home and struggle.
Rather, I want them to be here — and we are here to help.
If you need urgent help, or would prefer to speak to someone by phone or text, the following services are also available:
Mental Health Crisis Line (Surrey and NE Hampshire)
Freephone: 111 or 0800 915 4644
Text: 07717 989 024
Available 24/7
Samaritans
Freephone: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Available 24/7
Stay Alive App
A free app for people in crisis or supporting someone else
Download the app
Healthy Surrey – Emotional Wellbeing Hub
Information, advice and local mental health support
Visit Healthy Surrey
If you've visited one of our Safe Havens in person or online, we’d like to hear about your experience.
Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can improve. Whether it’s your first visit or you’ve used the service more than once, your views really do matter to us.
Please take a few minutes to complete our short, confidential survey:
Share your views in our ‘Your Views Matter’ survey (opens in a new tab/window)