In 1989 Colin Hammond had a recurrence of his anxiety problems and was working on a help-line for people with anxiety disorders via a charity entitled Phobic Action. By 1991 his condition had worsened to the extent that his agoraphobia had returned and he and his wife Marion were forced to sell their Fish and Chip shop. Marion was already unable to work due to a heart condition. They sold the shop in June 1991 and Colin was advised to have 6 months rest, which he duly took. In the November of that year Marion and Colin wondered what they would do with the rest of their lives and because Marion was never going to be able to work full-time again and Colin’s agoraphobia could take some years to overcome they realised that a “normal” job was out of the question. They decided that they would try and help other people to overcome their anxiety disorders through self-help using the methods Colin had been taught when he was first ill.

They put an advert in the local newspaper telling people what they were hoping to do. The idea was to run a group for people in Shropshire as there was nothing in the county. With the replies they received they began to help people in the county and because they were receiving calls from other places in the Midlands they decided to operate a West Midlands network however, sufferers kept telling other sufferers and soon the charity was operating on a nation-wide basis. Their first starting point was the provision of a help-line operating all day and every day and they were joined by people who had read their article in the Shropshire Star newspaper. Quite rapidly the charity became well established and recognised and from the first year of the help-line when it took 253 calls, it now takes some 75,000 + per year. The initial four volunteers has grown to some 90 and the charity now has a membership of over 1500 located mostly in the U.K. but including quite a few from other parts of the world who have got to know about the work of No Panic.

No Panic now offers a full range of services for people who suffer from Panic Attacks, Phobias and Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder including, literature, CD’s and DVD’s, a membership scheme and “contact” book service wherein members are able to make pen-friends or phone friends with other people who have similar problems. We also offer telephone recovery groups which are of special benefit to people who live in rural or isolated areas where access to local face-to-face self help groups or statutory support is very limited.

If you would like to know more about our work please telephone our national help-line on  0300 7729844  or write to No Panic, Unit 3, 10 Oxford Street, Oakengates, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 6AA or email admin@nopanic.org.uk.

Founded by Colin Hammond MBE.