Mental health café welcomes community befrienders
Jami launches initiative to mark World Mental Health Day
The charity that provides mental health support to young people and adults is introducing 12 volunteer community befrienders at its social enterprise Head Room Café in Golders Green.
Jami, part of Jewish Care, has launched the latest initiative to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10 October. Head Room will offer the service on site from 10am to 4pm and also provide free hot drinks to the first 100 customers to mark the day.
Moving forward, the befrienders will be available from 2–4pm, Monday to Thursday; as well as 10am–12pm from Wednesday to Friday, to anyone in the community wanting to have a one-to-one chat with someone.
Whilst the café already runs a free daily community programme, Gideon Levy, one of Head Room’s community development facilitators, said: “Some people find a group event too big and prefer one-on-one. The 12 new community befrienders, who have been trained and inducted into the friendly life in the café, will be here for people to chat to and to enjoy some friendly company. And they will usually have a sign on their table welcoming people to join them.”
Volunteer befriender Caryn Cobersy said: “I am here for anyone visiting Head Room to have a one-to-one chat, provide support and hopefully make someone smile and feel a bit better, especially if they are feeling lonely or isolated. I’m happy to play board games or just listen.”
The project is is just one of the ways Jami will be supporting the community on World Mental Health Day and beyond. Another is through the internationally accredited Mental Health First Aid training it delivers to other charities and organisations, including, most recently, the United Synagogue and West London Synagogue.
Jami has also been working with Barnet Council Public Health on the publication of a new guide, Coping After Suicide: A Guide for Organisations, to support Barnet’s voluntary, faith and enterprise communities after news of a suspected suicide, as well as a webinar providing a step-by-step guide on how to respond effectively and compassionately.
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