This well-being group meets four times a week and provides a safe space for people with anxiety or mental health issues.
Ventnor Well-Being Café
Salisbury Gardens
Please do take the time to read about this introduction to Ventnor Well-Being Café.
Our well-being group meets four times a week and provides a safe space for people with anxiety or mental health issues.
Our co-ordinator Terri is a retired NHS Health Professional with many years of experience and a wealth of knowledge on mental health issues. Her hours funded by the Ventnor Town Council. There are currently 100 members registered with the café. These members decide themselves on the activities, including arts and crafts, cooking, reading, outings, and the suchlike. We also have an allotment, which is an absolute winner for the members who have no outside space or garden to enjoy. We have a quiet area for members if the need is required for contemplation and reflection.
The group is funded by the Ventnor Town Council, no charges are ever made to members for attendance. Fundraising is an undertaking fully decided upon by the group itself.
We are a self-help group, helping members regain their confidence and self esteem again, helping to make friends whilst trying and enjoying new and varied activities. The group is diverse, democratic, and always works within the rules set out by the authorities. This includes Covid19 guidelines Track and Trace, data protection, equality, and diversity. We have worked hard to have in place an Adult safeguarding Policy, Risk Assessments, and all of the other numerous policies required for this kind of group.
The Council provides us with all of the necessary documentation and expertise to be fully compliant.
We work closely with Southampton University, Social Housing groups, The Allotment Association, Ventnor Foodbank, and many local businesses within the area. Many social prescribers, we have referrals from GP’s, visits from Isorropia, Michael Lilley (Mayor of Ryde) and the Isle of Wight Council Mental Health Champion has visited on occasions. We have and are being used as a model for many other communities on the Island. We have an in house suicide response first Aider on site, plus a number of other fully trained personnel on site at the council offices. Our group ages range from 16-91 and are from all walks of life.
Our members are treated with respect and dignity, confidentiality and safeguarding are paramount to the success of the group. The key factor for this group in inclusion, no-one is ever alone.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have regarding the group, I will be only to pleased to answer them. If you feel that you may want to visit the group, again please just let me know.
Below are the times we are open currently, although this may be subject to change as numbers may slightly increase over the coming days. Attached are some of the members own testimonies as to how they feel about the group.
Monday: 1000hrs – 1400hrs
Tuesday: 1200Hrs – 1600hrs
Wednesday: 1000hrs – 1400hrs
Friday: 1200hrs – 1600hrs
Kindest regards
T. Exposite
Well-Being Café Co-ordinator
terri@ventnortowncouncil.org.uk