Crawley mental health charity centre promotes holistic wellbeing in the community and online

Crawley Mindfulness Centre is the first of its kind in the UK, providing mindfulness and complementary therapy classes.

It is a non for profit registered charity providing a range of accessible services for the community to aid healing, which includes group workshops, classes and sessions that are all led by qualified professionals.

The idea for the centre came about due to a combination of the charity’s five trustees personal experience within the mental health system, and through their work as therapists working in the field of mental health.

Marion Weeks, trustee and chair at Crawley Mindfulness Centre, said: “We believe that there is a gap in mental health support available to the community; it is either available for those in crisis, or for those who are in a position to financially afford private support, but there isn’t much for those who cannot afford complementary therapies but need the help.

“Complementary therapies however are available when people find themselves at crisis point in mental health hospitals or in many hospices at end of life care, we asked ourselves why are theses valuable therapies not available to the rest of the community unless privately at high costs, so we decided we wanted to bring these valuable methods of healing to our community.

“Our aim isn’t to replace professional therapy, but to educate, explore and encourage mental wellbeing.

“In every culture before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy and connection in the community. There is much science behind mindfulness, meditation and complementary therapies, we can’t not separate the mind and the body.

Crawley Mindfulness Centre, which was only formed in January, has already been nominated for the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards 2021.

The charity offers free online classes on each day of the week, varying in their content, and will be starting some new face-to-face sessions soon.

The charity also hopes to begin its Hypnotherapy for Anxiety Relief class, and monthly Women’s Circle and Men’s Circles.

Marion added: “We have a fantastic team of professionals who devote their time and care to providing an excellent service that reflects our ethos and goals.

“One of our main focuses is to build a community of resources where we as a community come together and share.

“We are extremely grateful to the funding and support we have received from our sponsors, some of which include the National Lottery, Crawley Borough Council and Sussex Community Foundation.”

To find out more, please visit crawleymindfulnesscentre.org and facebook.com/Crawley-Mindfulness-Centre-100341298471991/