A NEW Chester venue where people can enjoy a friendly cup of coffee and prioritise their mental and emotional wellbeing has opened its doors.
‘Calm Coffee’ is a new offering from Rage Fitness Company, which already operates a community gym based at Blacon Adventure Playground and delivers health and fitness sessions for local residents.
It aims to provide a safe and welcoming environment where people can access support and talk openly about mental health.
Craig Brown, CEO of Rage Fitness, was inspired to launch Calm Coffee after completing his ‘Mission 84’ challenge, which saw him cycle 3,570km in the space of just 84 days last year to raise awareness of male suicide.
Craig said: “After completing the challenge, I increasingly found myself speaking to people on the gym floor who were experiencing hard times or going through crisis.
“I knew I had to create a safe space for both men and women to speak in comfort, feel welcomed and have a calming experience – and so Calm Coffee was born.”
Calm Coffee was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Chester, Cllr Martyn Delaney, and has already welcomed more than 400 people in less than four weeks.
Charlotte Cooper and Craig Brown with the Lord Mayor of Chester at the official opening of Calm Coffee.
“We’ve been delighted with the response, but also with the feedback we’ve received from people who have attended,” Craig added.
“People who’ve attended a session with us tell us they feel significantly better, both physically and mentally.”
Calm Coffee and Rage Fitness Company are supported by Avenue Services, which provides use of the activity centre at Blacon Adventure Playground as well as mentoring and support to help Craig grow his business.
Chris Leicester, neighbourhood partnerships manager at Avenue Services, commented: “It’s so important that people feel comfortable talking about mental health and know they have somewhere to turn for support or if they simply need someone to talk to.
“Craig already delivers an invaluable service for Blacon residents through his work with Rage Fitness, and I’ve no doubt that Calm Coffee will have a similarly positive impact.”
Calm Coffee is free to attend and open to all. As well as regular support sessions, there are plans to launch a series of events including wellbeing colouring, veteran networking and free family therapy education.
For more information or to book a free support session, contact Calm Coffee on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CalmCoffeeChester/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calm_coffee__/
Avenue Services, which is a not-for-profit organisation, is a joint venture between Sanctuary Group and Cheshire West and Chester Council
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