Groups and organisations around the county are spreading awareness of a special week.

Mental Health Awareness Week comes around every year, starting on May 9.

Its purpose is to raise awareness of mental health issues, which can be a broad range, and the resources available to those who may need help or need to help others.

Each year has a theme on which to focus, this year's theme is loneliness.

The Mental Health Foundation, a charity that supports the week and started it, has written on their website explaining the reason behind focusing on that theme: "One in four adults feel lonely some or all of the time.

"There’s no single cause and there’s no one solution.

"After all, we’re all different!

"But, the longer we feel lonely, the more we are at risk of mental health problems. 

"Some people are also at higher risk of feeling lonely than others. 

"For Mental Health Awareness Week this year, we're raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health and the practical steps we can take to address it."

Lakes College, a college in Workington, has also been spreading awareness of the theme.

A spokesperson wrote of the theme of loneliness, adding that it is something they are sure everyone has experienced at one point or another - especially after the pandemic.

They added: "It is important to always remember that you are not alone and there will always be someone there to listen, whether you're one of our learners, a member of staff, or a member of the community."

LGBTQ charity OutREACH Cumbria has announced it has opened its Cumbria Transgender Wellbeing Hub.

Writing on Twitter, OutREACH Cumbria said: "Mental Health is very important and our Transgender Wellbeing Hub will focus on support for our transgender and non-binary community.

"Currently we plan to be open for drop-in every Monday between 12-7 pm (excluding bank holidays).

"We also continue to offer Talk-it-Out Therapy, offering free of charge LGBT+ specific mental health counselling to all LGBT+ individuals, couples, or family groups."

For more information about this, contact them at hub@outreachcumbria.co.uk.

Every Life Matters, a charity that raises awareness of suicide and suicide prevention, will be providing suicide awareness training for free on May 10, open to anyone who lives or works in Cumbria.

This event is free, however, tickets are required, and can be bought by clicking here.