Dear Friends,
We hope you’re doing ok as the last week has left many of us shocked and fearful. We were in Southport
with Mental Health Friendly Church training just the weekend before the attack and murders and have
reached out and been praying for the communities affected. We know that anxiety, fear and uncertainty is
what so many are struggling with in the face of the violence and racism we are now seeing on our
streets. A sense of belonging and psychological safety is crucial to wellbeing and it is not ok that for
many people they are being made to feel that they don’t belong and they are not in any way safe.
What we are seeing every day is overwhelming and it can be hard to know what we can practically do. Here
at Kintsugi Hope we want to spread hope and positivity and suggest 3 things we can all do:
- Be kind. Random acts of kindness for your neighbours, friends, family, community leaders and police
can really help to lower raised levels of anxiety, fear and hopelessness.
- Be prayerful. Pray for peace to descend on our streets. Pray for those trying to bring order and
calm. Pray especially for the safety of the Muslim community, the black community, refugees and
asylum seekers and their families. Pray for their safety and that fear and anxiety is calmed.
- Be a gentle presence. Reach out and ask how people are doing: your neighbours, local business
owners, friends and family. Consider how you might offer a safe space for people either at home, or
as a church. Kintsugi Hope’s ‘Gentle Presence’ resource offers some great practical ideas for you to
use on your own, or with a small group. Click here to download it.
We believe it's time for us to prioritise creating welcoming, open and honest spaces for those
struggling with isolation, loneliness, and mental health struggles so that people can see they are not
alone and can experience belonging. You can find out more about setting up a Wellbeing Group in your
community here.
Finally, for the month of August, we have reduced the cost of our Brighter Days book to just £6.50 as a
way to get further support into the hands of those who are struggling around you, or for yourself.
Click here to go to our Shop.
Go gently.
Ellie Gage (CEO) and Patrick Regan (Co-Founder)