Gloucestershire County Council is investing up to £1.4million over the next seven years in a new helpline to support the mental health of adults in the county.

The new helpline, ‘Connect and Offload’, or CandO (pronounced ‘can do’) for short is designed to provide support when someone first notices signs and symptoms of their mental health worsening.  

It will be open to any adult who is experiencing issues with their emotional wellbeing, such as low mood, anxiety, stress and loneliness.

It also includes support and advice for individuals seeking help with self-harm allowing them to receive the support they need, alongside wider support for their overall emotional wellbeing.

The ‘Connect and Offload’ helpline will offer support to without the need for a referral, or an appointment.

People will be able to contact the service anonymously between 2pm and 9pm 365 days a year by calling 0808 801 0606, texting 07537 410 022, webchat via  or e-mailing [email protected]

The new helpline is managed by leading mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness.

Siobhan Farmer, Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council said: “The new Connect and Offload helpline is a great addition to the range of mental health support services available in Gloucestershire and I know it will make a difference to individuals, their families and friends.”