Here are our social media posts for loneliness awareness week 2023!
Day 1 - 12th June 2023
This week 12th June - 18th June 2023 is Loneliness Awareness Week! We will be posting a series of posts through the week about the work we do around preventing isolation & loneliness
The Social Action Hub is offering FREE counselling sessions on Thursday evenings & Saturday mornings delivered by Paul Ainger Anyone can refer, our main focus is on targeting men’s mental health, however everyone is welcome to book for counselling sessions. Often counselling can give you the space to safely explore confusion, pain, anger, sadness and connect to the powerful feelings that can arise following abuse, oppression, trauma or bereavement. Or it can simply help you get to know yourself better. It’s all about finding the right therapeutic relationship that helps you feel safe enough to explore yourself and your world.
Would you like a check-in with a qualified counsellor? Fill in a referral form to book a mental health support session below:
To find out more information, please visit our website
Day 2 - 13th June 2023
The Social Action Hub are setting up our own Chatty Café! Our opening times are every Thursday during term time 10am-12pm held at The Social Action Hub, Kirklington Road, Rainworth, NG21 0JR. We kindly welcome an entry donation fee of £1 with no sign-up fees. Teas, coffees, pastries, fruit and juice is served free as well as tuck shop items sold separately. There is free WI-FI and laptops to use for the public. We will also have toys available for children to play with.
There are several ‘Chatty Café's’ set up around the UK as a part of The Chatty Café Scheme. The mission is to reduce isolation & loneliness within the community, as well as socialising and having conversations with our chatty café volunteers.
“A bit of honest laughter and conversation with so many different people in all walks of life makes you realise that many people suffer with loneliness and the lack of companionship. It also makes you more understanding of what other people is dealing with when all it takes is a conversation and a bit of understanding and kindness to make a difference. The Chatty Café Scheme is a simple idea which produces amazing results by just talking and communicating with others.”
Chatty Café Volunteering - Click here to sign up
You can sign up to be a volunteer at The Chatty Café!
We will be open on Thursdays during term time 10am-12pm
Volunteer roles include: Set up Café tables, serve service users with refreshments (teas, coffees, juice, snacks), Keep areas clean & tidy, greet service users and have a chat with them if they'd like, set up/display café items
We require volunteers to have WhatsApp as this is our main source of communication. We will need a DBS and a Food Hygiene Certificate. If you do not have these, we can provide them for you.
Day 3 - 14th June 2023
The Treehouse Project, also known as our Over 12’s Youth group, are a big part of our original reason for starting The Social Action Hub as it’s known today. In 1993 we received high volumes of anti-social behaviour in the community after the closure of the pits and responded to that by reaching out to those groups and doing detached youth work. Since then, we have expanded our work into a multitude of areas, opening new projects and services to benefit the community.
We relaunched The Treehouse Project in May 2022 to engage young people in entertaining activities, as well as a ‘chill’ space to be in with their friends. Encouraging young people to come in ultimately improves their mental health & wellbeing by making a safe environment for them and putting food in their bellies via The Youth Community Fridge.
Our Over 12’s youth workers have noticed an improvement in their well-being, as well as overall happiness and enthusiasm. Over the past year, we have had multiple ‘Youth Board’ meetings with members of the over 12’s youth club to voice their feelings and opinions about issues in the community aimed at young people and exploring options for solutions to these issues.
Overall, The Treehouse Project has supported young people in the community in a multitude of ways, to help them feel heard, safe, and less lonely. We are always open for new faces at our Over 12’s sessions on Tuesday evenings 5:30pm-7:30pm! It is a come and go as you please policy. We also offer C-CARD registrations & pick-ups and relationship & sexual health advice for young people aged 13-25.
Day 4 - 15th June 2023
We take pride in promoting mental health & wellbeing at The Social Action Hub, especially including this work in our Under 12’s sessions at Youth Club or Playscheme sessions.
Here are some of the recent session topics we have done around mental health & wellbeing:
-Mental Health Day
-2 x visits from Positively Empowered Kids for under 12’s and over 12’s Youth Clubs
-Mindfulness
-Lonely Not Alone Campaign
Positively Empowered Kids have kindly done sessions with our Youth Clubs. Here’s a little bit about them. “We are a multi award-winning Community Interest Company educating, inspiring and empowering the next generation to discover ways to grow positive mental health and wellbeing. Our vision is to grow a happier and healthier world where children are resilient, compassionate and empowered to navigate life’s challenges and realise their potential. We collaborate with families, schools, organisations and businesses, in fact, the whole ecosystem of a child, to create healthy environments where children can thrive.”
Day 5 - 16th June 2023
Since the start of 2023, we have held events that promote mental and physical health & wellbeing. Many members of the public attended these events to socialise, make new friends, help eachother and the local commuity, or just to get outdoors. Whatever the reason for attending these events, everyone felt less lonely and enjoyed their time together as a community.
Walk & Talk
To celebrate Nation Walking Day, on 7th April 2023 we held a ‘Walk & Talk’. We planned a route from The Lurcher Pub, going through the woodland and around the pond in Blidworth, circling back to the start on one big trail. Some people brought their dogs along for the walk!
Community Litter Pick
On 1st April 2023 the community got together for a litter pick around Rainworth, accumulating what seems to be around 30 bags of rubbish! Families and individuals committed to hours of litter picking with friends and new faces from Rainworth, Blidworth and Surrounding areas. Helpers got to enjoy a free tasty cob and a cup of tea or coffee and some snacks at The Social Action Hub after their hard work.
Day 6 - 17th June 2023
The main mission of The Social Supermarket is tackling food poverty & preventing food waste. However, there is a social aspect of coming to The Social Supermarket that you don’t get at many other food banks / food clubs. To reduce the stigma of using a service that supports with food, our volunteers make it their goal to improve the experience of service users in the shop, by having friendly conversations and open arms.
Even waiting in the queue or shopping in The Social Supermarket can spark up some conversation between service users and make it a friendly environment to be in! It is a mindful and understanding place to be in, as many of the families & individuals who use The Social Supermarket all have different reasons for needing food support, therefore all have an understanding of the collective need in the community. This creates a friendly and welcoming environment for new faces and current customers.
You can sign up to be a volunteer!
Collecting surplus donations from stores in Rainworth, Blidworth and surrounding areas. Preferably on a regular occurrence on a certain day and time, with the occasional one off collection. Collections are available every day.
You may be asked to deliver Emergency Food Parcels to individuals/families in need.
We require volunteers to have WhatsApp, as this is our main source of communication. We will need a DBS and a Food Hygiene Certificate. If you do not have these, we can provide them for you.
The Social Supermarket opening hours are: Monday 10am-2pm, Wednesday 4pm-7pm and Thursday 10am-2pm
Helping out in The Social Supermarket. Roles/duties may include unpacking deliveries, greeting customers, Tidying the store, stocking shelves, assisting shoppers and answering queries, being 'on the door' to maintain the number of customers in the store at once.
We require volunteers to have WhatsApp, as this is our main source of communication. We will need a DBS and a Food Hygiene Certificate. If you do not have these, we can provide them for you.
Day 7 - 18th June 2023
We’d like to share with you a personal anecdote from one of our familiar faces at The Social Action Hub. This person has been supporting our organisation for a long time and has come out of her comfort zone to achieve things she didn’t know she could do before!
“I have engaged with several courses, mainly beauty and I have found them to be brilliant when it comes to accommodating me with my disability by giving me time to take medication or have time out when I get anxious. Chatty cafe - wow what a launch this was such a fantastic resource i met some lovely individuals whom were so caring. I am looking forward to next week!
They give me something to look forward to and work towards. Having disabilities topped with anxiety, I found it very tough to step out my comfort zone as I feared no one would understand my condition. That wasnt the case, Daisy noticed I was struggling and suggested the counselling sessions which are both at the centre or via the phone if I am unwell or unable to attend. I wouldnt of put myself out there and done any of the before. My confidence has grown and my anxiety is getting so much better.
It is so important to have such a widen variety of services in the same place each and every service they provide uplifts and encourages each and every person that walks through their doors. It has literally turned my life around especially when I go in and now see familiar faces.
My courses - I would of never thought that I could achieve what I did its through the patients /understanding of all involved that I achieved what I did. Nobody is now a stranger to me when I walk through the doors it is so uplifting to chat to each and every member of staff they are so warm kind caring and friendly. I also didnt think since loosing both my parents in 2017 that I would get the right help with my bereavement via the counselling services provided at the centre.”
What an amazing story!
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