Carol & Mary’s Story

YMCA Coffee & Craft Creating Community and Reducing Loneliness.

YMCA West Bromwich hosts a weekly Coffee & Craft session on Tuesday afternoons. This programme is funded by Legal and General to tackle health inequalities due to social disparity as a determinant of health.

Carol and Mary are two of the attendees of the weekly Coffee & Craft sessions. They both look forward to the sessions each week and love the appeal of learning new skills and meeting like-minded people. Carol was recommended the programme by a friend, despite her initial aversion to trying new things. Mary lives alone, and suffers with loneliness and depression. Both women have found a community and friendships since joining these classes.

Mary said, “I already belong to YGym and take part in various exercise classes, I heard about the Coffee & Craft sessions and thought it would be a nice way to make new friends. I live on my own so life is very lonely and I suffer with depression, anxiousness, and nervousness. Attending the craft sessions brings a little joy to my day and I am forced to concentrate on what I am doing, so the mindfulness of the sessions helps me be present. The intricacies of some of the craftwork has also helped with my dexterity as I have problems with my hands.”

Carol said “I just love Tuesdays! I enjoyed doing crafts myself, but coming to these sessions I have learned a lot more. I was reluctant to try new things in the past but I’m glad I decided to try this session, the classes are really helpful. I’ve met lots of lovely people and Joy goes out of her way to help as much as she can. I feel so much more relaxed these days, we always have a laugh in the group and help each other out.”

When asked about their progress, YGym Manager Joy had observed a lot of changes, “When Mary first attended the sessions she was very quiet and reserved, however in the months since she has been attending, her confidence and self-esteem has grown week-by-week, bringing her own ideas for future sessions. Carol was in a similar place, lacking confidence and low self-esteem. Now she supports others who are struggling with the activities and is more than happy to lead a session if I have to pop out or can’t attend. The sessions provide a wonderful community and they have both been able to make new friends and reduce the loneliness they were facing. “

Overall, Carol and Mary are just two examples of the success of the Coffee & Craft sessions. The programme helps the attendees feel like they belong to their community, and helps their confidence thrive. The original funding for this programme covers the class until the end of October, though Joy, Carol, and Mary share the sentiment that it would be a shame to see it end.

Find out more about these by contacting Joy Chatwin or calling our Reception team at YMCA West Bromwich on 0121 524 1950