Mental Health Matters (MHM) is working in partnership with the Wellbeing for Life service to deliver a new Community Cafe at the Healthworks building in Easington, providing a welcoming space for local residents to connect, access support and build skills.

A launch event for the service was held on 15 January and was well attended by members of the public, service users and team members from both Mental Health Matters and Wellbeing for Life. The event gave local residents the opportunity to learn more about the cafe, MHM's employment services and the wider support available within the community.

The Healthworks Community Cafe aims to bring together local people in a warm and relaxed environment, offering affordable refreshments and a friendly space to meet others. The cafe will run on the second Thursday of every month and will be attended by local organisations who will provide information, advice and support around health, wellbeing and day-to-day living.

Run by volunteers, the cafe will also offer opportunities for people to gain experience and qualifications in areas such as food hygiene, customer service, barista skills, hospitality and project management. This reflects Mental Health Matters' commitment to supporting people to find and sustain volunteering opportunities as a way to build confidence, gain practical experience and improve wellbeing.

Emma Blue, Deputy Area Manager for Mental Health Matters, said, "The launch event was incredibly well attended by members of the public, service users and the Mental Health Matters and Wellbeing for Life teams. It provided an excellent opportunity for us to chat and get to know each other better, whilst informing people about our employment services and the future of the Healthworks Community Cafe."

The Community Cafe is open to local residents, and no referral is needed to attend. People are encouraged to drop in to find out more about the support and opportunities available.