Cornwall Mind Rural Community Cafes

Cornwall Mind (and its predecessors  Carrick Mind and Restormel Mind) has been supporting the people for Cornwall for well over 20 years.

We have a very small group of dedicated part time staff and committed volunteers, many with lived experience of mental health difficulties.

• Nearly 9% of the Cornwall population have been diagnosed with depression from their general practice and serious mental illness (SMI) affects 0.9% of the population. 
• In 2017/18, there were 40,886 patients registered with depression (according to general practice [GP] registers) and a further 1,064 patients with both depression and anxiety (according to the GP patient survey). 
• Additionally, more women (62%) than men are thought to have a mental health disorder. 
• The prevalence of all mental health disorders in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are predicted to increase (among adults aged 18+ years) until 2030. 
• Data highlights more adults across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly self-harm when compared to England averages, which increases the risk of suicide among this vulnerable population. 
• Cornwall and Isles of Scilly also have one of the highest rates of suicide (14.5 per 100,000 persons) when compared to England (9.6 per 100,000 persons). 
• Moreover, compared to the general population, adults with a mental health problem experience a 20–25% reduced life expectancy. 
• They are also 2–4 times more likely to die from cancers, circulatory and respiratory diseases for example. This contributes significantly to the global burden of disease across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
• Finally, mental health among adults aged between 15 and 69 years ranks the highest burden of disease when compared to other conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases (Cornwall Council, 2019).

Cornwall is a very rural county with difficult transport links particularly from the outlying villages and hamlets. Cornwall Mind currently covers certain areas of the county with various wellbeing services. We plan to raise our profile and support offer by expanding the community cafés project, social media campaigns and community fundraising.

We will establish Community Cafes in four towns in Cornwall that are not currently covered by existing Cornwall Mind Community Cafes. The Community Café venues are existing cafes that have a commitment to supporting their local community. The exact town selected will be identified following a review of the fundraising event and Community Café roadshows in that area of Cornwall. The frequency of the Community Café will be determined by the finance raised to run the sessions. But initially the Community Café will be held at least every month.

The Community Café roadshows will be a pilot that will run in rural areas – villages. Due to transport issues, people are not able to attend our services in the nearby towns. We will be holding eight Community Café roadshows asking local people establishing local community needs and offering support advice and guidance around mental health. One of our target audiences will be the farming community which has many complex social, financial and mental health stressors.