Birmingham is set to get a first-of-its-kind cafe and the new opening is coming to Selly Oak - where most university students are located. The wellbeing café has rejuvenated a former GP surgery and will offer visitors a place to relax, recover, and recoup with a host of community events and workshops, as well as group and one-to-one therapies on offer.
Two of the city’s leading mental health organisations – Living Well UK and Birmingham Mind – have joined forces to tackle growing mental health concerns. With over £450k of funding from NHS England, the cafe named grounded. will officially open its doors in Selly Oak this September with more sites due to follow. Sculpt, an architectural interior design agency located in Birmingham, has led the efforts in transforming the former GP site into a calming space.
Open Monday to Friday, grounded. will generate multiple jobs across Living Well UK, Birmingham Mind, and Evolve Birmingham, and is set to become a true hub for the Selly Oak area, which is home to over 25,000 residents – nearly a third of which are studying at the University of Birmingham.
Ben Howells, Chief Executive Officer at Living Well UK, comments: “In the midst of a mental health crisis, both locally and across the UK, grounded. presents an opportunity to bring much-needed support to local communities. We’ve been honoured to help bring grounded. to life, and the entire team behind its development has been fantastic. With the financial support of NHS England, we’ve been able to transform what was once a GP surgery into a hub for the diverse community in Selly Oak and the wider South-West Birmingham area. The team on site will be working hard to deliver accessible mental health support for those who need it and a warm, welcoming space for those who just want to come by for a cup of coffee.
“Supported by the investment into the region’s mental health services, we’re already looking ahead to how we can open more grounded. hubs, create more jobs, and make mental health support more accessible in the West Midlands.”
Open Monday to Friday, grounded. will be operated by Evolve; a social enterprise that provides job opportunities and training for those who have faced barriers to employment. To find out more about grounded., visit https://groundedcafe.co.uk/.
Here are six photos of the wellbeing cafe opening in Selly Oak:
1. How the therapy room looks
2. The cafe will be selling some merchandise
3. The cafe is cosy and comfy looking
4. Visitors can get a cuppa here