Support cafe in Fintona for those going through tough times

A MENTAL health social support group in Fintona are inviting anyone who may benefit from their services to attend their weekly social café.

The drop-in, which takes place every Tuesday from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the Ecclesville Centre in Fintona, is run by charity Together With Solace.

While the charity originated in Omagh in 2021 in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown to promote positive mental health, its founder Andy Campbell said the charity extended its work to the Fintona area last year.

“We began Together With Solace simply to get people out of the house and talking after lockdown,” he said.

“There was also very little support in terms of mental health. And due to a number of suicides within a short period in the area, we took the approach that if we weren’t going to help ourselves, no one will.”

The charity are now welcoming anyone who is feeling isolated or lonely, or simply anyone that enjoys a chat, to attend their weekly social café in Fintona.

At the café, they offer a range of opportunities to socialise with like-minded people and engage with others in order to promote positive mental health.

The social café sometimes features games days, or just a simple comforting cup of tea and good conversation, for example.

“It’s all about getting people out of isolation and offering them the chance to socialise and meet new friends,” Andy explained.

The charity will further be running a four week crafts workshop at the Ecclesville through every Monday in November.

It is free to sign up and those who wish to attend, or are interested in the work that Together With Solace do can find more information on their Facebook page by simply searching ‘Together With Solace’.

Together With Solace’s social cafe takes places every Tuesday from 10.30am to 12.30pm at the Ecclesville Centre.