Free mental health and wellbeing support is now available in Verwood thanks to the launch of a new Access Wellbeing weekly drop-in service, held every Wednesday from 9am-1pm at Verwood Memorial Hall. The new Access Wellbeing Verwood service is open to anyone aged 18 and over, with no appointment needed. It offers a welcoming space […]
An innovative approach to mental health support used in Dorset has been shown to reduce the need for psychiatric hospital admissions in a major new national study. Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that people who received Open Dialogue support were significantly less likely to be admitted to psychiatric inpatient care, with the odds […]
We are excited to announce that we will be trialling a new online Access Wellbeing drop-in service from 9 September. The new Access Wellbeing Attend Anywhere sessions will take place every Wednesday from 10am-4pm. They will be staffed by a team of friendly wellbeing coordinators and are open to anyone aged 18 and over, living in Dorset […]
We will be making a few changes to our Access Wellbeing drop-in spaces from September, as part of our ongoing commitment to providing support in the right spaces for our local communities. The following changes will take place from 1 September onwards, unless otherwise stated: North Dorset Blandford – a new drop-in will open at […]
We are proud to share our Access Wellbeing Universal Impact Report for 2025-26, reflecting on a year of expansion that saw us reach more people than ever before. During 2025-26, thousands of people came through the doors of an Access Wellbeing hub or drop-in space looking for support. Some were experiencing difficulties with their mental […]
Access Wellbeing marked Loneliness Awareness Week (15-21 June) by highlighting opportunities for connection across Dorset. Loneliness Awareness Week is a global campaign that encourages people to talk openly about loneliness and the importance of meaningful connections. By starting conversations, reaching out to others, and taking part in local activities, we can help break down the […]
Access Wellbeing services in Poole, Boscombe and Weymouth are hosting a range of free events as part of Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May 2026). The theme this year is about taking action to support good mental health; this can be for yourself, someone else or all of us. Even small actions can help us […]
The team at Access Wellbeing Weymouth & Portland are celebrating a milestone this week – the two-year anniversary of the Weymouth & Portland Hub at Hope House. Access Wellbeing offers free mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over. Staffed by friendly wellbeing coordinators, the spaces provide a welcoming environment where people can talk openly – whatever is on […]
On Time To Talk Day (5 February) communities across the UK are encouraged to start conversations about mental health, to listen, share, and talk about what really matters. At Access Wellbeing, we understand just how important those conversations can be. We provide welcoming, safe spaces where people can talk at their own pace, and truly […]
The Access Wellbeing hub in Poole marked its second birthday this week, celebrating two years of providing free, accessible mental health and wellbeing support to local residents. Since opening in January 2024, the Poole hub has seen more than 6,800 visits from people looking for support or a listening ear. And the service has continued […]
Access Wellbeing has opened two additional drop-in spaces in Purbeck, further extending free mental health and wellbeing support across the area. The new Access Wellbeing drop-in spaces in Wool and Lytchett Minster & Upton offer welcoming spaces where people can find support and a listening ear. There’s no need to book – anyone aged 18 […]
Some of our Access Wellbeing services will be operating with different opening times over the festive period. All our hubs and drop-in spaces will be closed on bank holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day) and services on other days may also be closed due to venue availability and staff annual leave. Find […]
Access Wellbeing marked International Men’s Day and Movember 2025 with a series of successful men’s mental health events across Dorset, creating safe, supportive spaces for men to talk openly, connect with others, and access vital information. The events – held in Weymouth, Poole and Sturminster Newton – brought together various local organisations including Men’s Sheds, […]
Access Wellbeing is marking International Men’s Day 2025 on 19 November with special events around Dorset to promote men’s mental health, including a men-only drop-in at St Mary Street, Weymouth, a men’s mental health information day at the Access Wellbeing hub in The Dolphin, Poole, and a men’s lunch at The Vale Pantry in Sturminster […]
This World Mental Health Day (Friday 10 October) Dorset is marking a significant milestone in supporting local people, with 30 Access Wellbeing services now open across the county, offering free mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over. Find your nearest Access Wellbeing space Delivered through a pioneering partnership between the NHS […]
The Access Wellbeing hub in Boscombe marked its first anniversary this week at a special event attended by MP Tom Hayes. The hub offers free mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over, with no appointment needed, and has welcomed over 600 people in 2,260 visits since opening its doors in September […]
Over 2,000 local people have so far benefitted from support through initiatives designed to compliment Access Wellbeing’s aims, as part of Dorset’s Community Wellbeing & Mental Health Fund. Access Wellbeing is Dorset’s NHS-commissioned community mental health and wellbeing programme. Its aim is to provide the right support, in the right place, at the right time […]
It’s International Self-Care Day today (24 July) so we asked our wellbeing coordinators to share how they look after themselves. The answers were beautifully simple: a mindful cup of coffee, a morning dog walk, listening to birdsong, reading a good book, or just taking a moment to breathe. It reminds us that self-care doesn’t have […]
MP for South Dorset Lloyd Hatton visited the newly refurbished Access Wellbeing Weymouth & Portland hub at Hope House, Weymouth on Friday 4 July, to see first-hand the difference Access Wellbeing’s services make.
We are proud to share our first Access Wellbeing impact report, which highlights the difference our new services have made since we opened the doors to our first hub.
New Access Wellbeing drop-in spaces have opened in Sturminster Newton and Blandford, marking the arrival of Access Wellbeing in North Dorset.
A new mental health and wellbeing service has officially launched in West Dorset, at an event attended by the High Sheriff of Dorset and Deputy Mayor of Bridport.
We will be holding events throughout the week at our hubs and drop-in spaces, including activities in our hubs and launch events for our new services in West Dorset and North Dorset.
We’re excited to announce that we’re launching a second drop-in space in Dorchester – this time at The DEN Café, a vibrant new community café with a mission to support mental health and wellbeing.
New Access Wellbeing drop-in spaces have now opened in Swanage, Wareham and Lytchett Matravers, offering mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over – with no appointment needed.
On Saturday 8 March, we celebrated the incredible women who work across our Access Wellbeing services, to mark International Women’s Day.
The Access Wellbeing programme is continuing to expand with the addition of more drop-in services. These are based in existing community settings and will operate on different days of the week.
The Access Wellbeing Poole Hub celebrated its first birthday on Wednesday 29 January, marking one year since the Dolphin Centre venue first opened its doors.
Over the coming months, the Access Wellbeing programme will expand to provide more drop-in services across Dorset. These will be based in existing community settings and will operate on different days of the week.
Our Access Wellbeing hubs in Boscombe, Poole and Weymouth hosted drop-in grief cafes for National Grief Awareness Week (2-8 December) giving visitors the chance to access support and advice in a friendly, welcoming space.
