The Contact Service

When things feel overwhelming, trusted support from people who understand can make a real difference.

Support for men experiencing hopelessness or suicidal thoughts

The Contact Service supports men across Norfolk and Waveney who are experiencing hopelessness, emotional crisis or suicidal ideation. We offer flexible, tailored support when you need it most. It is commissioned and funded by Norfolk County Council, working in partnership with local services to strengthen suicide prevention across the county.

Make a referral

Men can self-refer or be referred by professionals, family members or partners. After submitting your referral, someone will be in touch within two working days to make an appointment so we can get to know what’s happening for you and how we can best support your needs.

Fill out the referral form

The support has given me the strength and confidence to tackle things head on and not be afraid of opening up, helping me feel less isolated and preventing me from becoming more and more withdrawn.

MK, Norwich

What we offer

Men can meet individually with a trained and clinically supervised MensCraft practitioner in a calm, non-judgemental space. It is also possible to attend one-to-one sessions remotely, by phone or video call. These sessions are:

  • Confidential
  • Person-centred
  • Grounded in practical conversation
  • Focused on what matters to you

There’s no fixed script. No pressure to disclose more than you want to. Just time to talk things through with someone who will listen properly.

For many men, connection with others who understand makes a powerful difference.

Our peer-support groups offer:

  • A place to speak openly and honestly, without judgement
  • Shared understanding that fosters a sense of belonging
  • Practical insight shaped by lived experience
  • Flexible support that meets you where you are – in person or online

Men often tell us these groups help them feel less alone. They are supplemented by WhatsApp groups that can provide further reassurance in times of need or crisis.


Crisis rarely exists in isolation. Financial stress, housing concerns, health issues, relationship breakdown, bereavement or unemployment can all sit beneath feelings of despair.

Through our network of trusted partners across Norfolk, we can connect men to:

  • Housing and debt advice
  • Employment and skills services
  • Mental health provision
  • Relationship and family support
  • Substance misuse services
  • Community groups and wellbeing activities

We stay alongside men while they access wider support.

Help to address the underlying causes

Hopelessness often develops over time, shaped by difficult or unresolved experiences such as:

  • Adverse childhood experiences
  • Relationship breakdown or separation
  • Loss of identity following retirement or job loss
  • Illness or long-term health conditions
  • Bereavement
  • Feeling disconnected from purpose or belonging
  • Major life transitions at any age

The Contact Service works with the whole man, not just the immediate crisis, steering them steadily towards opportunities for growth and integration.

Through working with us, men often find they are more able to:

  • Make sense of what’s happening
  • Rebuild confidence and identity
  • Strengthen coping strategies
  • Reconnect with meaning and purpose

Our approach

 

We take a strengths-based approach, focussing on potential, not problems.

We believe:

  • Change is possible at any age or stage of life
  • Crisis deserves compassion, not judgement
  • Vulnerability is a strength
  • Belonging is a powerful protective factor

Our approach is:

  • Non-clinical – no tests or diagnoses
  • Trauma-informed and gender-aware – through both training and lived experience
  • Strengths-based – focussing on what’s strong, not what’s wrong
  • Grounded in dignity and respect – recognising men’s intrinsic worth and value

We meet men where they are, emotionally, practically and geographically.

Trusted by Norfolk County Council

Funded by Norfolk County Council (NCC), The Contact Service forms part of the county’s wider suicide prevention and wellbeing programme, offering rapid, preventative and relational support.

 

As part of Norfolk’s wider wellbeing network, we collaborate closely with health, voluntary sector and community organisations to ensure men receive joined-up support.

Taking the first step

If you’re here because you or someone you know needs support, you’ve already taken an important step in the right direction. 

Get in touch

Our impact

Our evidence- and practice-based programmes successfully improve men’s connections and sense of belonging, and reduce isolation.

 

They are backed by an in-depth understanding of boys’ development, masculinity, male psychology and parenting, all of which have relevance for education, the criminal justice system, social welfare, families and youth provision.

2026 Impact Report - coming soon!
500+

Men supported by MensCraft in 2025

91%

Report improved overall wellbeing

86%

Report improved mental health

88%

Report feeling more hopeful about the future