Supporting People's Mental Health

One of the greatest concerns for our nation as we emerge from the pandemic is the damage that the past year and a half has done to the mental health of people.  Whilst we would wholeheartedly encourage people to see their GP or any of the various mental health crisis teams if they are in deep need, it is also the case that many people simply need some support as they deal with some of the cracks in their life and seek to move forward.  So, we are partnering with Kintsugi Hope and some members of the church are currently training to facilitate the Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups.

Kintsugi Hope is a charity based in the UK striving to make a difference to people’s mental wellbeing.

'Kintsugi' is a Japanese technique for repairing pottery with seams of gold.  The word means 'golden joinery' in Japanese.  This technique repairs the brokenness in a way that makes the object more beautiful, and even more unique than it was prior to being broken.  Instead of hiding the scars it makes a feature of them.

We all have times in life when things can get a bit much, we feel overwhelmed and we can struggle to keep going.  The art of Kintsugi suggests that it is these very experiences and trials that make us who we are – unique, precious and beautiful.  The wellbeing groups aim to find the treasure in life’s scars.

We want to see a world where mental and emotional health is understood and accepted, with safe and supportive communities for everyone to grow and flourish.

What is a Kintsugi Hope wellbeing group?

A Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Group is a safe and supportive space:
  * for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed.
  * providing tools for self-management.
  * in a facilitated peer mentoring style setting.

This is a 12 session weekly group covering issues including: disappointment, loss, anxiety, anger, perfectionism, shame and resilience.  We aim to learn about these experiences from one another and to build a shared ‘tool box’ of things that can help us deal with them as they appear in our lives.  The course material includes group and individual activities designed to help us to accept ourselves, to understand our value and worth, and to grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future.

When will the wellbeing group start?

Whilst we do not have fixed dates yet, we will start the course in the autumn, when the team have been properly trained and we have had a proper opportunity to advertise the group locally.  In the meantime, if you would like to express an interest and ask us to contact you when we have firmed up the dates then please contact us via the Contact page on this website.