Wakefield Great British Bake Off star Karen Wright marks World Mental Health Day

The all-day event, which was held at Pontefract Town Hall on World Mental Health Day (October 10), allowed members of the public to take part in well-being workshops run by staff from Turning Point’s Talking Therapies service in Wakefield.

The day also featured a presentation from Wakefield-based GBBO star, Karen Wright.

Karen, who was a fan favourite on season nine of the BAFTA-winning show, explained the benefits of keeping active when dealing with mental health issues.

She said: “You can’t be thinking about problems if you absorbed in something creative. I always encourage people to have hobbies, it doesn’t have to be in the kitchen, it can be other things like gardening. I hate gardening, but I’ve never done it. I might be amazing, I might be the next Alan Titchmarsh.

“It’s really therapeutic to have a hobby. People say that about baking. It’s very warm and homely. It's got all those comforting things that go with being in the kitchen and making something usually for people you love or just for yourself.”

At Wakefield Talking Therapies, qualified therapists discuss with clients the difficulties they are facing and what coping strategies could be useful in managing stress and negative thoughts and building resilience.

The talking therapy sessions are free for residents in Wakefield who can self-refer for support as well as being referred by a medical professional.

Francine Reay, Deputy Operations Manager at Wakefield Talking Therapies, said: “World Mental Health day is an opportunity for all services that support emotional wellbeing to work together to let the people in our communities know about the help that is out there.

“As the local talking therapies team, we always work hard to let people know they can easily access free support. Anyone aged over 18 can self-refer to the service by filling out the form on our website or giving us a call.”

To find out more about the service, visit: www.talking.turning-point.co.uk