Swansea City AFC Foundation projects help Andrew open up about mental health
World Mental Health Day (October 10) took centre stage at Swansea City AFC Foundation’s recent Cwtch Coffee Morning at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Every week members of our local community get involved in the gatherings, which take place every Tuesday between 9.30am and 11.30am.
They are designed to help bring people together and provide support and a place to talk.
It is one of a number of the Foundation's health and wellbeing initiatives, and the benefits of these sessions has been highlighted by a number of attendees, who are reaping the benefits of meeting up and talking every week.
Andrew has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the coffee mornings and feels he has taken positive steps as a result, having struggled with his mental health, issues that had led to him self-harming.
“These sessions are so important. I suffer quite a lot with mental health, self-harming. Since I’ve been coming here, for about a year now, I don’t self-harm anymore. I look forward to every week," said Andrew.
“Everybody in the group is fantastic. (Foundation health and wellbeing officer) Caroline (Gwilym) is brilliant. When I first came here she helped me relax, made me open up a bit as the weeks have gone on. It's very important to me."
In addition to the coffee mornings; every Thursday from 6pm until 8pm the Foundation's Talk Club takes place in the Cwtch at the Swansea.com Stadium, where men can talk, listen and seek to improve their mental health in a safe space.
“It’s been brilliant, it's something else to look forward to on a Thursday," continued Andrew,
"Again you can open up, talk about what your week has been like, what have you got coming up to look forward to, how your mental health is going to be, it’s amazing. As a group we’re all sort of in the same boat, so it’s great.
“I think the hardest thing is getting through the door. Once you come through the door you can relax, talk to Caroline on a coffee morning or Tony at Talk Club and you can open up. I’m not the type who wants to open up to people, but since I’ve been coming here I have just opened up and it’s been really, really good. It really has changed me.”
To find out more about Talk Club, please get in contact with tony.sharpe@swanstrust.co.uk or robin@swansfoundation.org.uk
To find out more about Cwtch Coffee Mornings, please get in touch with caroline@swansfoundation.org.uk
