Cambridge Creative
Synergy Community
Good Mental Health & Well-Being
WEEKLY GATHERING
Every Friday
12:00 – 4:00 pm
Cambridge Unitarian Meeting Hall
Victoria Street, Cambridge CB1 1JN
You're welcome here
We're a group of people who meet every Friday for good company and a bit of support. If you're feeling lonely or just fancy some company, come along.
It's a place where you can have a chat, listen, be heard, or just sit quietly if that's what you need. There's no charge - it's completely free.
Our Story
Our group, Cambridge Creative Synergy (CCS), provides a socially, peer-based engagement for adults living with mental health issues and autism (including Aspergers), and their families, carers and supporters, who have found themselves unable to cope with aspects of everyday life or to access existing sources of support, while experiencing isolation and mental health challenges.
We know from research in music sociality and participatory arts that when people do activities together, such as making music, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, walking, etc., this improves their immune system, reduces stress (cortisol) levels, and fosters empathic connection, enabling care for oneself and others (See All-Party Parliamentary report, Creative Health, 2017)*.
Our group have life and creative skills but have lost confidence and/or capacity to live our full lives, due to work/life pressures. We have begun to meet, share and practise creating this space for ourselves and others, drawing on experience of running a similar, successful project in Brighton.
We have two kinds of gatherings. Our activities at our weekly Friday sessions at the Unitarian Hall include cooking and eating a meal together, growing food at an allotment that we cook with, and having peer-led support sessions, such as origami, musicking, shiatsu massage, painting, etc. all building upon and sharing and discovering the skills we have as a group; at the weekends we have expert facilitator-led therapeutic sessions on art, music, Tai-Chi and movement.
Our aim is to grow organically and develop the group using our long-term lived experiences. Our approach is underpinned by careful listening and the voicing and discovery of previously unexpressed or unappreciated gifts. Lack of tailored provision increases the social and economic inequality experienced by this group, so we are rethinking well-being strategies with a holistic mentoring approach which integrates shared life experiences with new creative engagements, allowing each of us to be valued and resourceful and have more fulfilled lives.
See our community in action
A glimpse into our warm and welcoming gatherings
What happens on Fridays
Chat or Just Listen
You can talk as much or as little as you like. Some days you might want a good chat, other days you might just want to sit with a cup of tea.
Cook and Eat Together
We try recipes from different places - Italian one week, Indian another. Then we all sit down and have a meal together.
Support Each Other
Everyone's been through something. We share what we've learned and help each other out when things are tough.
No Cost, No Fuss
It doesn't cost anything and you don't need to sign up. Just turn up on a Friday if you fancy it.
Come along this Friday
If you're lonely, or just want some company and a decent meal, we'd be happy to see you. No need to let us know - just turn up.
Every Friday | 12:00 - 4:00 pm