A nurse from Cockermouth Hospital has set up a new support group for women in memory of her daughter.

Nic’s Voices of Hope is named in honour of Nicola Wilson from Workington who died in 2018 following a battle with mental health issues.

Her mum, Julie Wilson is a registered nurse based on the Isel Ward at Cockermouth Hospital and was approached by Mike Glaister and Lynda Williams who felt there was a need for a women’s peer support group in the area.

Julie said: “They approached me just to ask if they could use Nicola’s name in honour, which knocked me for six to be honest. It’s so humbling to think your daughter’s name is going to be out there in a group to support women.”

The group has been training and taking advice from Andy’s Man Club Facilitators in setting up the group.

They have said if they are able to save one woman who is suffering with her mental health, then it will have achieved its aim.

With one of Nic’s funeral sayings – ‘If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever’ – being the slogan for the organisation.

One of the founders Lynda Williams said: “There are a lot of dark places women don’t want to get into, but with a club like this if they can sit and listen to other people and think I have been through the same, I can talk – they get me, they know what I am going to say.

“We are just normal lasses wanting to help other normal lasses to get through things.”

Julie spoke about how the group will help her personally, she saying: “I kept a lot of my grief in because I was being strong for everyone else, there’s a lot of grief and I can’t let go of it.

“I have never been able to talk about it to anybody, because I have always been seen as the strong one.

“Me personally going into this group, I am hoping someone will be able to pull that out.”

The support group opened its doors for the first time on Thursday, April 10, at the West House Resource Centre on Windsor Road, Workington.

It will hold sessions every Thursday evening between 7 and 9pm.