Isle of Wight charity, Independent Arts, recently received £22,198 from the People’s Health Trust with money raised by the Health Lottery South East for their ‘Anxiety Café’ project.
The Anxiety Café is managed by Hannah Griffiths and brings people together to meet on a regular basis. It allows them to participate in social and creative activities including music, arts, dance, creative projects, mindfulness and counselling sessions in order to create social connections and provide peer support with those who share similar experiences.
The project ethos can best be summarised as ‘Friendly Support from People Who Understand’, and as such, all participants and co-ordinators involved with the anxiety café have experience of having anxiety or caring for someone who does, and Hannah is keen to emphasise that those who do come will always be greeted with a smile, a cuppa and an open mind.
She says:
“Stigma is always an issue when it comes to mental health, and due to the close-knit nature of the Isle of Wight community, I suspect that stigma does prevent some people from taking part in the project. To them, I’d simply say that we are here when you need us, and you will never be judged.”
As someone who has spent over half of her life living with anxiety, Hannah takes great joy in helping those in the local community overcome and manage their anxiety. She points to a particular member that she finds particularly inspirational saying:
“When they joined, they were naturally apprehensive and a little bit unsure of whether they fitted in. Since then, I have watched as they have gone from strength to strength and become an integral and loved part of our little community. They have held the group together during Covid and I couldn’t be prouder of them. This is what makes this the best job in the world.”
When asked about how the funding from People’s Health Trust has helped the Anxiety Café, Hannah states that it has completely changed the way they work. The funding has been used so far to establish photography courses and professional mindfulness sessions. The group has used this to produce a calendar and Hannah emphasises the therapeutic benefits of the sessions.
Martin Ellice, Joint Managing Director of the Health Lottery, said:
“We are thrilled to hear that the Anxiety Café has been such a success so far, and it is a project that is needed more than ever in the current climate.
“By providing a safe space, the project is a lifeline for many people struggling with anxiety and I look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength”.
