Friendships at The Farmers

Located on the Broadway in Yaxley in Peterborough, The Farmers Carvery and Grill is the location for one of our community Good Mood Cafes. Taking place every Thursday morning between 10:30-12:00pm, the CPSL Mind team provide a welcoming environment for local people to come together, have a hot or cold drink, and talk about their interests. It’s a safe space for people to help each other through challenges they may be facing.

For many people at The Farmers, they have been visiting the cafe for almost two years. CPSL Mind Facilitator Shannon Graham loves her role, “I love to meet people in the community and seeing them grow in confidence every week”, says Shannon. “It’s so rewarding and sometimes they don’t see it themselves, so it’s great when they reflect back on what they have achieved.”

Shannon continues, “We hit our record attendance at the Good Mood Cafe – 26 people joined us at The Farmers earlier this year, which is incredible and really inspires and motivates everyone who is involved. So many friendships are formed and for many the Farmers has really changed their life.”

Did you know?

CPSL Mind runs Good Mood Cafes across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire. We have a number of different session times throughout the week. Find your session today.

“When I was offered the chance to come to a Good Mood Cafe, I jumped at it.”  – Alvin

Alvin is 74 years old and is from Woodston in Peterborough. Reflecting on when he first found out about The Farmers Good Mood Cafes, he said, “I worked in a male industry, workwise, all of my life, and that came from when I retired and a lot of my mates and friends have passed away. I therefore got a little bit short of company. Because of health reasons, I had to give up my narrow boat. I also had to give up my allotment and I absolutely adored both. The Good Mood Cafe helps me to meet other people and I’ve been coming for quite a few months now.

“Before I had a hospital operation, I was getting depressed. Not bad, but there was obviously something going on. After my operation, my depression got worse. So, when I was offered the chance to come to a Good Mood Cafe, I jumped at it.”

A welcoming environment

So, what’s Alvin’s message to someone thinking of attending for the first time? “If you don’t try it, you’re not going to know and if you don’t do anything, I don’t think you’re going to get better.”

Shannon has shared her advice for people attending for the first time and said, “My advice would be to let people know that they can always contact us beforehand. If you feel overly anxious, I’ve always said to individuals that we can meet them outside just to help them because joining a big table of people can be overwhelming. Across all the cafes, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. At the end of the day, everyone is there for the same reason. Everyone remembers their first session, too.

“Once you have gone once, you have done the hardest thing of meeting new people and visiting a new environment. There is no pressure to stay for the whole hour and a half.”

A message of hope

John is 79 years old and was born in Peterborough and still lives in the area now. He regularly attends The Farmers, and it was his friend Graham who first told him about the Good Mood Cafe. When we met with John, he shared with us that he has sadly been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Despite life’s challenges, John took the time to share his story and a message of hope to anyone else who might be going through their own challenges at this time.

“I’ve been coming to The Farmers Good Mood Cafe for almost two years now. I find it a good meeting place and I get on well with everybody. It just gives you somebody to talk to and it gets me out the house. In the sessions, we discuss each other’s problems, and I find it very good, it’s Interesting.”

John enjoys talking to others to find out about their interests and hobbies. Reminiscing on his hobbies he said, “I used to do a lot of model making, model boats and stuff like that. I also like a bit of gardening, pottering about as you do but I’m slowing down now because of my cancer and heart trouble.”

“I’ve had a lot of things happen to me over the years. I’ve been married three times, and I lost two of my wives through illness. I’m on my third one now, but hopefully we’re all right. If you’ve not been to a Good Mood Cafe before, I would recommend you come along.

“We’ve all got different sorts of problems, everybody has, and it does you good to talk and share your problems – we will get there. We will all get there in the end.”

Helping others and listening

Teresa and David Barker have both been supporting CPSL Mind in their volunteering roles for two years. For Teresa, it is the friendships that she’s made and the rewarding nature of the role that she loves. Our volunteers use their own lived experiences to help others and provide a confidential safe space for people.

A Teresa explains, “For me, it’s anybody who’s lost a parent, especially a mother because I can speak from that experience. So, I’ve had that conversation to help. Our role is to be a listening ear and if we can just be that for people then I feel as though it is worthwhile.”

“We form friendships through all the coffee mornings that we’ve been to, Good Moods, and that has continued. Hopefully, we can give back to people and just have that conversation. Let people tell us what their problems or their issues are if they want to do that, or just want to talk about anything but. We can do that on all levels and with everybody.”

Come along to a Good Mood Cafe

Visit the CPSL Mind website for the times and locations of all our other Good Mood Cafes here

To find out more about CPSL Mind Facilitator, Shannon, you can read our interview with Shannon here

Have a question? Take a look at our blog on attending for the first time and contact the team to find out more.

We look forward to welcoming you to a Good Mood Cafe soon!