A Dorset mental health charity has launched an immersive virtual experience so people can enjoy Dorset scenery and practice mindfulness in their own homes.

Dorset Mind, in partnership with This is Crowd, has created the platform My Dorset Mind to help those struggling with anxiety and mental health difficulties in this period of lockdown.

Users can select an image of Dorset that they find appealing, listen to calming music and follow breathing instructions to help them relax and find some peace during a difficult and unsettling time.

Dee Swinton, Income Generation and Marketing Manager for Dorset Mind, said: "We have such a beautiful landscape on our doorstep and we couldn't freely access it during the lockdown due to the Government guidelines.

"That is how the platform came about because we wanted to bring Dorset to people in their homes instead of them going out to see it.

"We hope that people will use the breathing exercises and enjoy the sights and sounds that we haven't all been able to access until now. Taking a few moments to be reflective and focus on breathing can help ease anxiety symptoms and stress.

"It is a relaxing experience that we hope to share with people."

My Dorset Mind currently has nine images for users to look at whilst they practice mindfulness, including Weymouth Harbour, Sturminster Marshall Bridge and Corfe Castle and the charity hopes to expand the platform to include more images and sounds.

Dee said: "We are very lucky where we live to have such beautiful surroundings and I think that this platform has the potential for longevity.

"There will always be times that people aren't able to go outside if they don't feel well enough or suffer with mental health problems, so I think this will be really comforting for people."

Dorset Mind have experienced a sharp increase in the number of people needing support since the start of lockdown and have had some of their services see an 80% rise in demand.

Dee said: "It has been quite a challenging time for us because we usually provide most of our services face-to-face and try to encourage people to do more in their community and engage more with people around them. We have adapted our services and we are helping people set goals and try to improve their own wellbeing.

"People are facing challenges that they have never experienced before and have never been taught how to deal with. We have created My Dorset Mind to bring some relief in this challenging time.

"We want to reach as many people as possible with this immersive virtual experience and we hope to expand it further to include more images of Shaftesbury and Dorchester.

"This has been a reflective time for people and it is positive to focus upon the things that we do have."

You can access My Dorset Mind at https://my.dorsetmind.uk/