Residents have chosen the name 'Hope Haven' for a new wellbeing hub in Whitehaven.

The hub, which is set to open next year, aims to change how people in west Cumbria access support for their mental health and wellbeing.

Local organisations such as Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), Cumbria Health, Everyturn Mental Health, Home Group, iCan Wellbeing Group CIO, Whitehaven Community Trust, and The WELL Communities CIC will work together to provide support.

The hub will be in the old Halifax Bank branch building on King Street.

Whitehaven Community Trust will own the building and it will be refurbished using funding from NHS England.

The group hopes the building will be ready to open in April 2025.

There will also be drop-in sessions and support offered by Hope Haven in communities throughout Copeland, not only in Whitehaven.

These will be starting earlier, in January 2025, and details will be shared soon.

David Storm, associate director for access and community services at CNTW, said: "Hope Haven is going to be a radically new way of supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing.

"At the moment, systems and services aren’t joined up.

"It’s hard to get help.

"People have to go to lots of different places for everything they need.

"And the longer someone has to wait for support, the more difficult their problems become, and the harder it is to help them get better.

"But with the Hope Haven, we want to change that.

"People won’t need to be referred and discharged between different teams.

"They will be able to get the help they need much earlier, just by walking through the door, or contacting us by phone or online."

In November, people were invited to vote on a name for the service, from a shortlist of four put forward by community groups.

The poll received nearly 1,000 votes, and 'Hope Haven' emerged as the winner.

Julia Clifford, founder of iCan Wellbeing CIO, said: "We’re thrilled that so many local people have got behind this and helped us come up with a name.

"’Hope Haven’ really reflects what this new service will offer to people."