Good mood café 'perfect fit' for Cambridgeshire homeless charity
It's teamed up with CPSL Mind to provide a place for people to meet
A homelessness charity is hoping to lift people's spirits this winter thanks to a good mood café.
Emmaus Cambridge is working with Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind to offer a space for those who may feel isolated to meet others.
Both charities aim to create an inviting, informal space for people to meet others, share interests, exchange skills and pick up wellbeing tips.
"The feeling in our café is very much people getting together, sharing things like what bargains they've bought and enjoying good food, so to have a good mood café seemed the perfect fit for us," Darren, catering manager at Emmaus Cambridge, said.
Formed in 1991, Emmaus supports up to 48 people - known as 'companions' - who have been or at risk of homeless with accommodation at its site in Landbeach.
Those who rely on this accommodation are asked to contribute to the charity's social enterprise, such as working in the kitchen, the donation hub or in its shop.
Darren's been with Emmaus Cambridge for nearly three years, managing Joan's Coffee Shop where the good mood café will be every Friday.
"You can see that some (people) have suffered isolation," he added.
"This is how it fits into the good mood café where you can change direction in life very easily and to capture some of that isolation before anything goes too wrong is a good thing."
Between 2023 and 2024, CPSL Mind supported more than 6,000 people with their mental health issues.