ST Andrew’s Church, Skipton, has been recognised with a Community Project Award from Congregational Insurance for its Wellbeing Café. The award comes with a cash boost of £2,000.
The café, hosted at the church every Thursday afternoon, provides a welcoming space for people experiencing mental health problems. Those who attend are personally greeted and made to feel comfortable on arrival. Initially the café served only biscuits, cakes and coffee - but after realising many of the guests were not eating well, the café began offering hot lunches for a small donation.
Aside from welcoming individuals, the café has been adopted as a hub for a variety of mental health professionals and agencies. Support workers, social prescribers, and alcohol/addiction counsellors all regularly use the café as a place to bring their clients for a chat, some food, or to join in activities together.
Other organisations who utilise the café as a place to meet with clients are Cellar Trust, MIND and Craven College & Adult Learning Services. The church is able to provide a private space if required.
The café is supplied by four Co-ops. As part of their national Foodshare Scheme, they contribute surplus food. Additional surplus provisions are donated by Skipton Foodbank, housed in the same building. Using these donated goods, the café runs a“free shop”where attendees can pick supplies from a food pantry.
Activities on offer at the café include boardgames, puzzles, occasional live music, short talks on topics such as hygiene, first aid, and debt counselling. Most importantly, the café hosts visiting local artists (provided through the Pioneer Project) who run art projects which attendees are encouraged to participate in. These creative projects include working in paint, clay, embroidery, and other crafts.
Jean Bedford, a member of the core team who runs the café, says it has become a community for its attendees. “We now see a wide mix of people attending with different types of severity of need, these include isolation and loneliness, mental health issues, disability poverty, anxiety, unemployment, low educational attainment, family breakdown, addiction, debt, or homelessness.” Several helpers who work at the café have undertaken a Mental Health First Aid course and are on hand to listen and offer support to anyone who wants to talk.
Core team member Peter Smith added: “We are all so thrilled to have been selected to win this award. We look forward to using the £2,000 wisely to enhance what is already on offer.”
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