A GROUP dispelling the stigma surrounding mental illness within black and minority ethnic communities has encouraged people in Keighley district to turn to it for help.

Sharing Voices Bradford is funded by Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group and offers a free service to people needing its support.

Keighley resident Faisal Tariq, the group's community development worker for young black and minority ethnic (BME) men, said: "We know mental illness is a massive problem in the BME population and that people don't want to talk about it.

"But we are here to help and we work right across Bradford district, including in Airedale and Craven.

"For example, we've had one 21-year-old man refer himself to us who had mental health problems. He'd been made homeless, had been moving from one place to another and had no one else to turn to.

"We managed to get a roof over his head, referred him to the Intouch Foundation charity which provided food and some provisions for his flat and secured a temporary job for him to help him get back on his feet."

People wanting to contact Sharing Voices Bradford can e-mail faisal.tariq@sharingvoices.org.uk for more information.