New crisis cafes to open in Leicestershire and Rutland

The new cafe will be based in Lutterworth leisure centre

New crisis cafes offering mental health support are set to open across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Eleven new cafes are set to open in 2022 - including the latest, in Lutterworth later, with a further 10 in 2023.

The health organisations behind the cafes, which offer drop-in sessions for anybody over 18 to talk about their mental health, have previously opened three of the centres.

They said the cafes' work was valuable.

'Support'

The cafes offer regular access sessions, without the need to book an appointment.

The Lutterworth cafe will be run from The Wellbeing Hub at Lutterworth Sports Centre.

It will be open from 17:00 - 21:00 on Wednesdays and 09:00 - 13:00 on Fridays, with the first session on 6 July.

The cafes are funded by the NHS and are supported by other partners.

The pilots - based in Leicester, Loughborough and Market Harborough - started in 2020.

Simon Whelband, Harborough District Council's portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: "These cafes are a great investment for the mental health and wellbeing of the residents of Lutterworth and its nearby villages.

"It can be hard for people to find this support and having it closer to where you live can only be a good thing."

Rosie Klair, project lead for urgent care and access pathway at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, said: "I am delighted that Lutterworth is now open, following hot on the heels of last month's opening at Coalville.

"We have seen an increase in numbers attending across the city and Loughborough cafes, so to widen the presence further across the city and county will mean that more people can travel less to access this support."