TWO years ago Gail Ditchburn refused to leave her home and cut herself off from other people.

Today, she is happy to chat, gets on a bus to Southend from her home in Westcliff, and enjoys the opportunity of trying new activities.

The turnaround in her life came thanks to Rise@Rethink, a project which supports those recovering from mental health problems - helping them get their life back on track.

Gail, 41, explains: "I was scared and I cut myself off from people. It was a result of a trauma in my past and I suffered a breakdown. The only place I felt safe was at home. If I went out I would suffer panic attacks."

The former administration officer for Customs and Excise, at Alexander House, Southend, was locked in her own world, refusing to talk and go out until she heard about Rise@Rethink.

Set up ten years ago as a day centre for mental health sufferers, the charity has now branched out to offer one-to-one programmes for getting people back on their feet.

Service manager Neil Harding explains: "We have just gone through a period of modernisation. Whereas in the past we used to be only a drop in centre, we have now extended the service to offer a lot more one-to-one help in the community.

"It is not just about supporting people in a building-based environment, but about helping them to get out into the community again and rebuilding their lives." Rise@Rethink has three local centres, in Southend, Rochford and Canvey.

The Southend branch, based in Queens Road, has more than 300 visitors a month.

Those who attend can suffer many different forms of mental illness, including depression, anxiety and manic depression.

Each person is given an induction and assessment session, where they discuss their goals for the future, based around seven areas. These include physical well-being, training and education and independent living.

They are then teamed up with a community "bridge builder" from the charity, who then works with them to achieve their action plan.

Team leader Fatou Ogunbiyi says: "It is amazing to see how it works.

"Although the support we gave before was welcome, sometimes people then came to rely on just coming here.

"They would get into a pattern and that would become the routine for them - without ever moving on.

"Now we have some members we speak to because we haven't seen them for a while and they say I am too busy to come in with all the things I am doing'. It gives us a great feeling of satisfaction."

Mental illness can often lead to social isolation, and Rise@Rethink aims to combat this with a programme of practical activities each week.

These include cookery lessons and outings to the local library, which help people combat their fears.

The group's work is supported by a grant from South East Essex Primary Care Trust and local donations, including £500 this month from staff at the Royal Bank of Scotland, in Thanet Grange, Southend.

For Gail, Rise@Rethink has been a lifeline. She said: "When I first came I would sit in the corner, too afraid to talk to anyone. But the people here soon encouraged me to join in and I have made a lot of friends.

"Thanks to Karen Jones, my community bridge builder, I have been encouraged to go outside on my own and to speak to people.

"I feel so much better since I started coming here. I can talk to people and I can trust people again."

For more information on the work of Rise@Rethink call 01702 330267 or e-mail rise@ rethink.org