Mental Health Crisis Cafes in Bedford

Mind BLMK provides a mental health crisis café in Bedford for the Trust. The café provides support and a safe place for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. It offers free help and advice for anyone 18 or older.

The café is at Florence Ball House on Bedford Health Village, Kimbolton Road and is open from 5-11pm every day of the week, 365 days of the year. No appointment needed you can just turn up and walk in.

The café is run by friendly coordinators, recovery workers, peer support workers (PSWs) and volunteers trained to offer coping mechanisms and management techniques to help people work through their crisis.

The teams will also be able to refer and direct people to further services if required.

If you need support outside of the times 

24hr NHS 111 Mental Health Crisis Support in Bedford 

Mental health crisis support for all ages is now available 24hrs every day across Bedfordshire and Luton by calling NHS 111.

NHS 111 will act as a first point of contact for any adults, children or young people in urgent need of mental health help.

Callers will receive fast and responsive support from NHS mental health professionals by selecting Option 2.

Trust call handlers will complete an immediate telephone triage and then signpost people to help and support or arrange a same-day mental health assessment by our mental health services for children and young people or adults.

The call handlers are based at Florence Ball House in Bedford Health Village, Kimbolton Road, Bedford.

The service is supported by the Trust’s urgent mental health assessment centres at Florence Ball House and Calnwood Court on the site of Luton & Dunstable Hospital, which provide 24hr walk-in mental health crisis support for all ages.

“This is a huge step forward in providing more accessible and responsive mental health crisis care for people of all ages,” Dr Angharad Ruttley, the Trust's Clinical Director for Crisis Care in Bedfordshire and Luton.

“NHS 111 is known and trusted by the public and will now act as a first point of contact for people experiencing serious mental health challenges who don’t think they can cope.

“It will also better connect all NHS mental health services across the county.”

The extended NHS 111 service went live at 8am on Monday, June 15, 2020.

Crisis Teams

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week and are accepting self-referrals are being accessed on 01234-315691
Face to face, support for people who need daily support or phone/ video support for people who need less frequent support

Samaritans 

Call 116 123 Free or email jo.samaritans.org