Your helping hand in any crisis
Across the UK, Best Mates provides lived-experience support, community connection and trusted pathways to help people navigate life’s toughest moments.
Whether you are struggling with mental health challenges, grief, trauma, loneliness or life pressures, we are here to help you feel heard, understood and supported.
You Don’t Have To Face Tough Times Alone.
Who Do We Help?
We help people across the UK who are facing some of life’s toughest moments. No one should go through personal crisis alone, and we provide practical, emotional and community-led support to help individuals find a way forward.
We support people struggling with challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, family breakdown, financial strain or sudden life changes. Many come to us feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to turn. Our role is to listen without judgement, offer a safe space and connect people with someone who understands their situation through lived experience.
Every person’s story is unique, and so is the support we offer. Whether it’s talking to a Mate with similar experiences, joining a Walk ‘N’ Talk group or being guided towards trusted partners, we’re here to help people find steadier ground.
If you or someone you know needs support, you’re in the right place. We’ve got you.
Support Starts Here
If you’re struggling right now, you don’t have to carry it on your own. Reaching out can feel like a big step, but it’s simply the start of a conversation. Best Mates exists to help you feel heard, understood, and supported through whatever you’re facing.
You can contact us in confidence. We will listen without judgement, to help us understand your situation, and then guide you towards the right next step. If you need a Mate with lived experience, we will do our best to match you with someone who understands. If you need further support, we can connect you to trusted service partners.
Quick Links
Need Help?
If you’re going through a tough time, you’re not alone. Best Mates supports people across the UK with understanding, guidance and a safe place to talk.
Reaching out is simple. Contact us through our form, email or phone, and one of our team will be in touch. We take time to understand what you’re facing, then match you with a Mate who has lived experience relevant to your situation.
From there, you may be invited to join a Walk ‘N’ Talk Wednesday group or be connected with trusted service providers or partner organisations if specialist help is needed. Some support may be part-funded, fully funded or self-funded, depending on your circumstances.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. Just start by getting in touch. We’ve got you.
If you need urgent, immediate help, please contact emergency services or a crisis support team straight away.
The Process
When you contact Best Mates, we begin by reaching out to understand your situation in more detail. This allows us to match you with a Mate, someone who has lived experience that reflects what you are currently going through, or as close as possible. This isn’t counselling or advice but pure understanding with empathy, support and guidance.
You will then meet or speak with your Mate over a period of time, giving you space to talk openly and feel understood. This support is not advice; it is shared experience, empathy and genuine understanding from someone who has been through similar challenges and come out the other side.
If, during your conversations, it becomes clear that you would benefit from additional professional support, we can connect you with one of our trusted service partners. Depending on your circumstances, this may be fully funded, part-funded or arranged directly with the provider.
Our goal is to equip you with the support, tools and confidence you need to move towards a more positive and stable future.
Step by step
How it works
1.
Reach out
Send us a message, call, or complete the form. You only need to share what you feel comfortable sharing.
2.
We contact you
We’ll get in touch to gain a clearer understanding of what you’re going through and what support you might need.
3.
We match you with a mate
We look for a Mate with lived experience that reflects your situation, or as close as possible.
4.
You talk it through
You’ll meet or speak by phone over a period of time. This is not advice or counselling. It’s shared experience, empathy and understanding.
5.
Extra support if needed
If it becomes clear you need specialist support, we can connect you with one of our trusted service partners. Depending on your circumstances, this may be funded, part-funded, or a direct introduction.
6.
Moving forward
Our aim is to help you feel stronger, better supported, and equipped with tools to move towards a more positive future.
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Find what you need quickly
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The impact so far
Best Mates is now two years into its journey, and we have supported 215 beneficiaries across the UK. Behind that number are real people who took the brave step to reach out, and were met with understanding, connection and support.
We’re proud of what has been built through lived experience, community, and the commitment of volunteers, trustees, service partners and supporters who believe in this mission.
If you’re reading this and wondering whether it’s worth getting in touch, it is. You don’t need the perfect words. Just start the conversation. We’ve got you.
