Every Friday morning at the community hub on Fore Street in Bridgwater, there’s a welcoming space where people know you may feel that way, won’t judge you or expect anything, and will make your first visit as calm and happy as possible. Running from 10 am to midday for anyone aged eighteen and over, the weekly coffee morning offers a gentle space to sit down, enjoy a warm drink, and simply be yourself.
Meet Jo and Robyn
Jo Poole, an Expert by Experience Leader with Open Mental Health, and Robyn Butler, Service Manager for Community and Wellbeing Services at Second Step and Open Mental Health Trauma Informed Strategy Lead, started the gathering in January 2024. Before setting up the coffee morning, they worked alongside each other to support people in distress as part of the Crisis Safe Space service.
Jo remembers noticing how easily isolation can take hold during difficult periods: “When people used to come in and use the crisis service, we often said to each other: wouldn’t it be great if we could get these people together in a social way? So often when people are struggling, they feel they’re really the only person who is so isolated. When the hub opened in Fore Street, we realised we could actually set something up. For about a tenner a week for drinks and some snacks, you’ve got fifteen to twenty people coming along. There’s nothing clever about our group. We welcome people, we mean it, it’s free, and we want the best for people.”
A Place to be Yourself
Kindness and consideration shape the whole atmosphere of the coffee mornings. Robyn recognises that anxiety can be a barrier to joining a new group: “Walking into a new place is really scary. Just because I work in mental health and put these things on, I feel intimidated too, walking into new spaces. That’s why the way we set it up matters. We’ve got the big table, which is probably the more chatty table, a smaller table, and a little seating area. We have games, puzzles, and colouring. It takes the pressure off having to think about conversation, because that can be really difficult. You’ve got a task to do—like doing a jigsaw—and it takes the pressure off. You don’t have to do anything or talk if you don’t want to.”
Ongoing, Accessible Support
Some wellbeing programmes run for a limited period, but Jo and Robyn wanted to offer something enduring: “We’re not planning to have an end to this coffee morning,” Jo says. “We just see it as part of our life and what we do on a Friday morning. That helps people feel settled, knowing they’re not going to get to the end of eight weeks and then have to move on and find another group. We asked them the other day if there was anything we needed to change, and they were like: ‘Nope! It’s not broken, don’t fix it. We wouldn’t come back if we didn’t like it.'”
Robyn says people can come when they like. “There is no pressure to turn up every week. With many services, if you miss sessions, your support might end. People feel held by this group because there isn’t that worry of ‘Oh, I’ve done something wrong if I haven’t gone,’ which can bring on guilt or shame. We all get bad days, and it’s really special that people still come when it is a bad day. It shows they know they’ll get the support they need. If someone isn’t doing well, we make sure they’re looked after.”
Over time, relationships made during the coffee mornings have grown into friendships in everyday life. Attendees stay in touch during the week through a supportive WhatsApp group and arrange walks, pub quizzes, and outings.
People Helping Each Other
For Jo, being open about her lived experience makes a big difference: “I’m a volunteer, so I can talk a little bit about my own mental health struggles. As soon as you start talking about having struggled with mental illness, it puts people at their ease. It makes us think: ‘Oh gosh, I don’t have to pretend my life is just a sparkly, lovely thing.’ Life can be really tough, and we’re able to be real. What you really want to see is people coming along, making friends, and helping each other. We often think about coming to get support, but being able to give support to someone else is so good for our wellbeing, too.”
Whether you want to drop in for twenty minutes to speak with someone who understands local services, or you fancy spending two quiet hours over tea and a jigsaw, the kettle will be on for you. We spoke with some of the coffee morning regulars, so to find out a bit more, read Friendship, Fun, and Acceptance.
Where is the Bridgwater OMH Coffee Morning?
No referral or booking is needed; just pop along to the Wellbeing Hub, 2 Fore Street, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3NF. The group meets Friday mornings, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (please note: on the last Friday of each month, the group meets off-site for an outing, so there isn’t an event at the Hub that day).
If you are struggling with your mental health and need someone to talk to, call Mindline Somerset any time, day or night, 01823 276892 or freephone 0800 138 1692 . To access further support, you can ask the person on the phone to refer you to Open Mental Health, or fill out our short contact form here >>