Renew Wellbeing creates spaces where it is OK not to be OK. Director, Ruth Rice, tells us about the charity she set up after her own experience of mental and emotional breakdown .
“As Director of the charity Renew Wellbeing ( www.renewwellbeing.org.uk) one of my great joys is to spend time with our amazing Renew centres all over the UK. I recently visited Renew Knowle run by a Parish Church near Birmingham. What a delight to meet the team and hear stories of how such a simple space is bringing life to so many.
I could never have believed it possible eight years ago when I set up the first space here in Nottingham as a result of my own mental health journey. Back then I was recovering from burn out, leading church and dreaming of a space where I could take life a bit more gently, attend to my wellbeing yet not in isolation and share a rhythm for prayer with others on the journey of working out what wellbeing looked like in practice.
Renew 37 here in Nottingham started eight years ago as a space where it is OK not to be OK. Being present in a cafe style space where anyone can bring and share a hobby, any faith and none, is the basic requirement of a Renew space. But the presence is sustained by the two other principles: being in partnership with mental health services in a way that encourages signposting not trying to fix others and most importantly, being prayerful. This principle involves having a quiet prayer space attached to the café style space that anyone can access at any time with led prayers based on simple Psalms that are open to all.
This one space has now multiplied many times over. At present there are 270 plus spaces open across the UK and beyond. The charity offers training and support both online and in person.
St Giles Church in Northampton taught me that this doesn’t need to be in a pretty café but can work in whatever space you have. They were the first Anglican church to join in using their existing church building very effectively and multiplying across their diocese by sharing what they were learning. One lady there told me how she had joined the host team with years of lived experience of mental ill health. She said, “Before the Renew space, I knew I was welcome here but I felt like a bit of a project. Now I’m an expert here and it is lovely to be able to give as well as receive.”
Another regular at one of our spaces said “I love it here because now someone knows my name”.
So many people around us are being labelled not named. Could you join God as He renews wellbeing by being present, prayerful and partnering where you are?”
Contact Ruth at Renew Wellbeing
Read the story and get the manual for setting up a centre in “Slow Down, Show Up and Pray” By Ruth Rice . Authentic Media
Visit www.renewwellbeing.org.uk for free resources and training
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