Birmingham welcomes new mental health café in the City Centre

Birmingham’s mental health landscape has taken a significant step forward with the opening of a new wellbeing café, grounded., in the heart of the city. This initiative is led by Living Well Consortium, one of the city’s foremost mental health organisations.

The café, located in the Jewellery Quarter, is the first of its kind in the city centre. It follows the successful launch of two similar establishments in Selly Oak and Hall Green. The new project has seen the transformation of a listed building overlooking St. Paul’s Square, marking the organisation’s most ambitious venture to date.

Backed by NHS England, these initiatives serve as welcoming spaces that offer accessible mental health support to Birmingham’s diverse communities. The services range from professional talking therapies to casual social gatherings over coffee and cake.

The latest grounded. site, like its predecessors in Hall Green and Selly Oak, is designed to provide a more accessible route to mental health care. The café will serve as a community hub for mental health support, combining the relaxed atmosphere of a coffee shop with professional mental health services.

The space, supported by Sculpt, aims to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health services and to break down barriers to professional mental health support.

Living Well Consortium, with funding from NHS England, established grounded. to provide essential and accessible mental health resources for Birmingham’s diverse communities. The new hub, located at 55 St. Paul’s Square, offers coffee, cakes, and mental wellbeing support from Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 3:30pm.

The launch of the third grounded. site in the city comes after a successful year for the brand and reflects the growing need for broader mental health support in the region. The first wellbeing café in Selly Oak aimed to serve the local student and residential population, providing a place for visitors to relax and recuperate. The second site in Hall Green has provided the diverse community with access to vital mental health support.

Ben Howells, Chief Executive Officer at Living Well Consortium, said his enthusiasm for the new site, stating, “In the midst of a mental health crisis, both locally and across the UK, grounded. presents an opportunity to bring much-needed support to the city. We continue to be amazed by the reception to these spaces, and the entire team behind their development has been fantastic. With the support of various partners, we’ve been able to create three brilliant and welcoming wellbeing services for communities that need them.”

The team at the new site, including staff from Living Well, Evolve, and third-party partners, is committed to maintaining the high standards set by the other sites, offering a warm, welcoming space and a comforting cup of coffee.

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