Melissa Taylor - Community Health Building

17/07/2025

What a lovely welcome from Kerry at Family Hub at Clifton Street Community Centre for this week's Keeping Connected Brew (KCB)

Not going to lie, i'm feeling a bit tired today so it was good to be surrounded by colleagues with no pressure to be on my A game.

As always the KCB was a space with no agenda. A chance to connect and build relationships. Relationships are built on humanity, trust and shared experiences. I wasn't the only person tired!!

Who was there?

Sharon - Care Coordinator from SWAN Primary Care Network
Kerry from the Family Hub
Fay - Neighbourhood Connector from Wigan Council
Julie from The Growth Company

What did we chat about?

* Macmillan coffee mornings
* Menopause
* Work stations and the challenge of getting it right with hot-desking and home working
* Transport - a boroughwide barrier to accessing activities / services and how Wigan Athletic Community Trust have overcome this with their Extra Time Hub
* Veterans support and the Armed Forces Community HQ CIC
* Andys Man Club
* Padlets!!!!!!
* Understanding each others roles - still as confusing as ever!! 🤣

17/07/2025

On July 21st (Next week!), we're running a listening lounge so you can tell us what support you need for your organisation, your hopes and dreams for your organisation, what you want to achieve for people you represent and the barriers you find when you are trying to realise your hopes and dreams.

This will be an informal session for you to just come and have a chat with us about your experiences. Come down to the Verve Tearooms on July 21st and have a brew!

9.30 - 12.00

17/07/2025

17/07/2025

An amazing achievement for Amy at All Ears MHA Well done!!!! 😁

A Wigan mental health organisation has officially opened its first wellbeing hub

09/07/2025

We’re growing our team!
If you’re passionate about making a difference, this is your sign!

Tap the links for Full and Part time positions 💜

https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/16811597
https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/16811598

09/07/2025

🌼 Community Lounge Update 🌼

Unfortunately, the community lounge will remain closed this week. The work in the stockroom is taking longer than we anticipated. We're hoping and praying to reopen next week, but we’ll keep you posted — please follow us for updates.

We truly hope this doesn’t cause any inconvenience. It was lovely to see some of our regulars pop into the shop last week even though the lounge was closed. 💛 Please feel free to do the same this week — even just to say hi, catch up, or share a smile and a hug. There’s always a warm welcome waiting for you.

Thank you for your patience and ongoing support.
We hope to see you next week! 🌟

09/07/2025

🗣FREE CBT ASSESSMENT🗣

Spaces available 22nd July. Making Space will be offering support to people aged 16+ who are struggling with mild to moderate common mental health difficulties such as low mood and anxiety.

They are there to guide you through the problems you are experiencing and support you to develop helpful coping strategies and resilience to help overcome your problems.

Booking is required, please contact the Family Hub on 01942 828377, send us a message or email familyhubatcliftonstreet@wigan.gov.uk to book an initial face to face assessment appointment with one of the friendly and welcoming Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

📅 Tuesday's
⏰ 10am or 11am
📍 Family Hub at Street Community Centre

07/07/2025

Last week I spent most of my time away from the office so playing catch up this week!!

Keeping Connected Brew
Ever the warm welcome from Shelley and the team at Caffeina Cafe It was exciting to see the progress that has been made at the growing space in Pennington Hall Park

It was also great to catch up with Natalie from Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Living Well Team, Ali from CraftHive Cic and Dave from Wigan and Leigh Community Charity

Lets Create Together
The week ended with Lego!!! Something I've never done before but something I really enjoyed. Hosted by Wigan Borough Community First it was a space for VCFSE sector organisations to come together and start to create what an infrastructure might look like for our sector.

17/06/2025

This week's 'Keeping Connected' Brew was at The Cosy Café. It was lovely to catch up with Jan from Department for Work and Pensions - DWP, Wendy from Adult Social Care, Wigan Council, Julie from The Growth Company and Louise from Family Hub at Mornington Road

We chatted about all sorts of things - work and non-work related - getting to know one another and how we all tick. The list is endless:

* Pros & cons of remote working
* Menopause and the challenges faced at work
* Values - doing the right things
* Community Cafes
* Refugees
* Andys Man Club - Walk & Talk
* Time restrictions - when you're forced to help people over bumps but then time forces you to close caseloads
* Huddles - these helped people feel isolated in their work / shared responsibility
* Connected Communities - Cormac Russel
* Podcasts - including Paloma Faith's Mad, Bad & sad

The cafe are looking for donations for prizes for their bingo sessions if anyone can help!!

11/06/2025

It's been a day of networking:

Firstly a trip to Atherton Health Centre for Taba Pcn health & Wellbeing event where I had a catch up with Mark from ManLeigh, Emma & Kim from Age UK Wigan Boroughand Danielle from Think Ahead Stroke

Then on to Lowton Community Cafe for this week's Keeping Connected Brew. Emma was obviously stalking me because she turned up there, along with Sean from Adult Social Care at Wigan Council and Jess from The Growth Company

We chatted about:
* Steps to Success
* Employment & Skills
* Social
* Read Easy Wigan Borough
* Wigan Council's Volunteer Hub
* The Royal Voluntary Service Virtual Village Halls
* Padlet
* Befriending
* What goes on in neighbourhoods
* Cooking classes - including what we're all having for tea!!

The other day I'm sure someone mentioned to me about a new cooking class but I can't think for the life of me who or where it was. Anyone got any ideas?

04/06/2025

Thank you Katy and the team at Fur Clemt for welcoming us to the community cafe yesterday for a 'Keeping Connected Brew'. And what a busy little place that is. So much so that we took our brews into a different room, along with plants, to free up space for others.

In attendance:

Tracey from Lets Get Moving and Jackie from the Play Team Be Well Wigan
Joanne Age UK Wigan Borough
Dave from Helps2Talk
Jan from Department for Work and Pensions - DWP
Janine from kintsugitherapy

We chatted about allsorts of things including:

* National Play Day
* Gaps in activities - particularly for men
* Peer support v's friend
* Networking
* 3 Mills development
* AI
* Short term funding