A Ukrainian wellbeing café in Ipswich is providing a ‘therapeutic environment’ for people from the war-torn country to talk about their experiences. The café was set up by the Revd Andy Buttress and Alex South, of Bridge Communities, in collaboration with Alan Cutting from Together for Ipswich, to reach Ukrainian communities in the town and build relationships.
Bridge Communities is part of the Church of England in Suffolk’s Lightwave Community, which looks to support communities across the county to combat isolation and engage in youth work. Andy said the weekly event, on Mondays from 4pm to 7pm at On the Huh Café in St Peter’s Street, has been a big success.
“We set it up just after Easter as a six-week pilot scheme and it went so well we continued again from September,” he said. “We intend to continue with it as long as there is a need. Unlike a lot of things, we don’t judge its success by how many people come through the door. We have two psychotherapists, Alex who is English and Irina who is Ukrainian, who offer structured sessions, so a smaller group is often more conducive to people sharing about their lives and their experiences.
Because the people who attend are Ukrainian, they often have a recent history of trauma, grief and loss. It’s not counselling or therapy, but it is a therapeutic environment. To be able to give people the opportunity to talk about their lives within a constructive framework and share how they are feeling is really moving and of great benefit to them.”
Those who attend do not have to share their experiences, they can simply pop along for a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a chat and take part in activities that promote their overall wellbeing. Children are welcome to attend, and information is available in Ukrainian on request.
Andy said: “At Bridge Communities we are focussed on building relationships and seeing our faith as a natural part of everyday life”
If you are from the Ukrainian community and would like to attend, you can either drop in on the day or contact andy.buttress@bridgecommunities.org.uk
For more information on the Bridge Communities, see www.bridgecommunities.org.uk
For more information on Lightwave click here.