Platfform

24/03/2026

The Hangout, the mental health and wellbeing hub for young people aged 11-18 in the heart of Barry has been extended, and we'll be able to invite more young people across Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan.

One 15-year-old who has been coming regularly over the last year said: “Everyone at the Hangout is very kind and sociable and have made me want to go out more. The staff always make me feel included.”

It gives young people a safe, accessible space where they can build confidence, develop coping skills and feel supported during difficult times.

Developed in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and available in both Cardiff and Barry, the open access service offers drop-in mental health support, scheduled individual sessions and wellbeing-focused groups.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

13/03/2026

Thank you Cardiff and Vale University Health Board for shining the spotlight on our brilliant team at the Seibiant Sanctuary in Cardiff who support people facing mental health challenges 365 days a year!

We're so proud of the work you all do ❤️

Meet the some of the team behind the Seibiant Sanctuary at Platfform.

They support people experiencing mental health crisis, either over the phone or in-person.

The Sanctuary offers a welcoming space to those in-need across Cardiff and the Vale. The team offer advice, support and a safe space to breathe and connect between the hours of 5pm and 1am.

“We can give individuals in a mental health crisis tailored support for two hours either over the phone or face to face that same evening” explains Ben, a Caseworker who works at the Seibiant Sanctuary. “We offer a safe space to calm down and regulate.”

The service, which is partly funded by the Health Board in conjunction with Platfform, offers trauma-informed and person-centred care. “What this means is we’re here to talk about what you want to talk about” says Ben. “We try and make the whole process as open and easy as possible, so people get care specific to their needs.”

To access the Sanctuary, call NHS 111 Wales and select option 2. You can either ask directly to be connected to the Sanctuary, or the call handler will assess your needs and refer you to the service if appropriate.

04/03/2026

Yesterday, Emma and Jess from our Employment Team attended the Gwent Women's Conference organised by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board at the Lysaght Institute in Newport to mark the upcoming International Women's Day 2026.

The conference was opened by Sue Tranker, Chief Nursing Officer for Welsh Govt, and throughout the day, key themes and topics were discussed including the importance of community and how collectively, working together, we can bolster each other and improve our own mental health and of those around us.

One session in particular resonated with our team - how inclusive mental health support should be a priority for any organisation. The key message reinforced that representation builds trust and cultural understanding reduces stigma around mental health and wellbeing.

26/02/2026

“Giving voice to my experience allowed me to confront a fear within the system: not a fear in me, but a fear of listening, of honesty, and of acknowledging that practitioners are not always the experts." Jess’s lived experience was one of thirty sets of evidence which guided our call for change. Jess shares her story in the blog linked in comments.

Stories we received through the Truth Project are first-hand accounts of people’s experiences within the mental health system, shared as unedited as possible. Openness reduces shame, and helps create shared understanding of what needs to chamge.

25/02/2026

What a brilliant session with Sarah Brown, Phil Richardson and Pete Johnson yesterday in the last of our current strength-based learning programme.

We were talking about looking after ourselves while supporting others, especially when the work can sometimes be tough.

🟥Some key takeaways were the importance of reflective spaces:
“Reflection is about slowing down in the middle of overwhelm, looking up from the task and making sense of what’s happening”

🟥We also heard honest reflections about what happens when we lose that space:
“I couldn’t see where I needed to point the direction to give people hope and agency because I was too much in it. I was just giving, giving, giving… and it took that for me to realise that’s a bad strategy”

🟥And this reminder:
“Looking after ourselves is what makes this work possible because we are the tools”

🎞️Watch the full recording here: https://youtu.be/rdswSeYdnY0?si=yaWju6jN9Nt7jMD2

20/02/2026

It was fantastic to deliver our first training session with Race Council Cymru and The Windrush Cymru Elders yesterday.

Together, we explored communication, understanding group dynamics, and the importance of good relationships when navigating group conflict and difficult situations.

By understanding what’s really happening beneath the surface, we can respond with curiosity rather than reaction.

Thank you for such an open, thoughtful and engaged session, we’re really looking forward to continuing the conversation.

19/02/2026

We know the importance that community and connection play in the route to healing, and Platfform's Employment Team based in Bargoed know too well the value of investing in their community's wellbeing activities.

We'd like to extend a huge thank you to Kevin from Enterprise Mobility for their donation of £2.5k to support these activities. This will enable Julie and the team to continue supporting people, giving them a sense of belonging and the opportunity to connect with each other ❤️

Read more here: https://platfform.org/boost-for-bargoed-wellbeing-activities/

Enterprise

18/02/2026

Our Hangout mental health drop-in hubs - in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board - are welcoming, therapeutic spaces, and a key part of the shift Platfform wants to see in our mental health system. Based in Cardiff and Barry, the teams run wellbeing workshops and activities, as well as offering a safe space to talk or just hang out. Thank you Tomos for all you do ❤️

Meet Tomos, Senior Wellbeing Practitioner at The Hangout in Barry.

“No matter where you’re at in your life or how you’re feeling, the most important thing for your mental wellbeing is that you reach out and speak to somebody. At The Hangout we’re always here for you” says Tomos.

Developed in partnership with mental health charity Platfform, The Hangout is a safe and welcoming space for 11 to 17-year-olds to access mental health support, wellbeing sessions and activity groups.

If you need emotional wellbeing and mental health support, or just somebody to speak to, you’re always welcome at The Hangout.

The Hangout has bases in both Cardiff and Barry, and can be accessed by walking-in, no appointment needed.

📍 26-28 Churchill Way, CF10 2DY
📍 3A Tynewydd Road, CF62 8HB
🕙3pm – 9pm Monday to Friday, 12pm – 6pm at the weekends and bank holidays.

Platfform

18/02/2026

Ramadan Mubarak to all observing Ramadan over the coming month.

Wishing you a peaceful and reflective time, and a joyful Eid Ul-Fitr ahead.

13/02/2026

For our Platfform4yp team asked colleagues how our project teams create safe, inclusive spaces for young people. Here's what they had to say:

"Through our safe, creative spaces on the Swansea Bay 4YP project, it has been so heart warming seeing young people connect with each other writing poems, making art and having fun. When you hear them making plans to meet outside of the group, we know this is building their confidence and giving them hope."

"In the Hangouts, we create a safe space by having lots of things they can connect with, board games, making slime or playing just dance! This helps them to build trust with us as there is no pressure to talk, it's up to them when they decide to ask for support, we will wait for them and when its the right time, we are there to listen."

12/02/2026

"This report shines a necessary light on the diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’. As the findings make starkly clear, this label often serves not as a gateway to support, but as a barrier to compassion." — Alexis Quinn Survivor, psychotherapist, author and manager of the Restraint Reduction Network.

We've launched our report The Hidden Harm of the Diagnosis of personality disorder, and are calling for a change to the way trauma is diagnosed and treated. The report is available on our website alongside more information about the Truth Project and the stories people bravely shared with us.

We've linked the website in comments.

11/02/2026

Our new report, ‘The Hidden Harm of the diagnosis of personality disorder’, which will be launched at our sold-out event tomorrow, will call for change to the treatment of people given the diagnosis of personality disorder. The findings are hard-hitting – but they aren’t new.

In our blog we talk about why what we have heard matters. The time for change is now. Follow the link in comments to read more