Wellbeing in Action exist to support people at a time when life throws them lemons...and the effort of putting one foot out of bed is too much let alone the prospect of squeezing out some metaphorical lemonade!
We believe everyone is entitled to good wellbeing - a sense of comfort, contentment, safety and happiness to live their best life. Where their opportunity to do so is being harmed, if there is a practical action that can remove the cause, we step to it. We enable people to reach out, to talk, and, with the power of the community behind them, find solutions that are a game changer for their physical, emotional and mental health.
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We see the memes, and good intentions on our social media. We hear that it's OK to not be OK (which it never is actually) and so, we roll our sleeves up and offer practical solutions and emotional kindness to the most vulnerable individuals and families, helping them to reduce their trauma, find safety and comfort and practical means to reclaim their pride, confidence and find space to climb back on their journey. We'll relentlessly go up, around over or underneath the barriers until we've explored every impossibility. Our motto is simple: If we can, we do.
We don't like the concept of 'giving charity' - it's a bit of a one way street in our minds! We see it as a transaction of human kindness - between people who all have times when we need a little help, and all have times when we are in a position to extend a hand to others. It is this ability to receive and pay it forwards that maintains dignity, pride and empowers us all regardless of our circumstances today.
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And, a little bit about 'WE'.......
WE is a collaboration - our volunteers, our supporters, the community, fabulous partner charities and agencies, the people seeking our help.
WE is otherwise known as 'YOU'.... and you're wonderful!
We call this THE GOOD KARMA CLUB. Everyone entering our world is automatically enrolled!
Welcome to our world of changing adversity into opportunity.
What we offer...
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Practical Help
Talking is important - it sews the seed of courage. Doing is vital - it changes our world. We offer a unique Good Karma Club with a lifelong membership for all, including:
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Aid distribution - sourcing homewares, furniture, and essential items to ensure everyone has chance to live a quality life
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Blushbaby - specialist baby equipment and clothing scheme to ensure every tiny human starts life well
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Good Karma Boutique - not only distributing clothes to those in need, but also working around body image, confidence, self esteem and styling. Helping people rediscover themselves through fashion and body focus while providing everthing from a warm winter coat to a fabulous bridal gown.
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Court Angels - helping people through the maze of court proceedings, and admin tasks - ensuring they have a fair chance for justice
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Grant Aid - Resources to help people who are at their lowest point - for housing, utilities, essential supplies,, repairs or equipment, dental or health treatment - or to improve life with a training course, driving lessons or a bus pass to start a new job. Our Angel Investors want to change lives with their resources and we put them together with those in need.
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We provide online, 1:1, group and peer support through:
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Counselling & Therapy services - talking it through, advice, signposting, re-training our minds, therapy and habit changing.
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One to one befriending for people who are struggling, not coping with life, lonely and needing a shoulder to lean on.
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Peer Support groups - sharing, learning and supporting with people in the same situation as yourself, especially:
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Perimenopause support for women 35+​
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Young Mama's peer support club
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Women's Mental Health Activity Club
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Veterans Breakfast Clubs
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Doorstep Dads - lone father's navigating the parenting role.
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Specialist wellbeing sessions and events, especially for women and families.
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Wellbeing Centre - private rooms for receiving wellbeing care from physiotherapy, chiropody, self esteem workshops, sewing classes to pattern changing courses or even wig fitting. Professionals can book our rooms, bringing services to the individual's known space rather than appointments in formal environments. Everything we do is on an equal, pay it forwards, basis - helping new practitioners establish in return for free or affordable sessions for people in need.
Emotional Support
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Social Action
Pulling the community together through common purpose... tackling the issues affecting our wellbeing together through volunteering and pooling our skills and resources. Creating dignity - opportunities for people to pay it forward after their own experiences.
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End Loneliness Campaign - activities & events through the year that bring people together, start new friendships, grow respect and prevent people being isolated:
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Senior Vintage Tea Dances, facilitated by young volunteers​
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Lone parent activities like the Superhero picnic
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All Call Trades - improving homes, gardens and communities through donated time and skills from tradespeople. Especially tradeswomen working with vulnerable females.
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Emotion in Design -working alongside women who have fled domestic abuse to renovate and style their new homes, using fabrics, paint and design to explore their emotions in the process of creating a space they feel proud and safe to be in.
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Elf Express Christmas Gift Distribution - hundreds of gift bags delivered to families in need, nominated by their own community.
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Peer run activity groups - retrocise keep fit, walking & running clubs... getting the community busy together.
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Covid Isolation Support tas
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About us...
What We Believe:
Trust, respect, justice, fairness, kindness, integrity, compassion - yes, yes & yes. But here's a few deeper beliefs we happen to hold, that colour all our work:
1. Having a bad thing happen to you does not define you as needy, or a victim.
Every human has times of need, even desperation - and every human has times of good fortune when they can contribute. We all occasionally need to reach out for support and assistance, but we all have capacity at some point to lead and extend a hand to others. We prefer not to think of this as being weak or strong, or giving and receiving of charity - we see it as making a simple, human transaction of mutual kindness, where we can all pay it forward in some way, at some time.
2. Words inspire, actions create change - both are essential
We understand the power of reaching out with a few faltering words and being listened to. It's essential to starting a journey, to articulate our thoughts, needs, & experiences and be understood. So we offer a wide range of opportunities for people to do just that - from peer support clubs to one-2-one counselling and online community influencer video-blogs. But it is pointless to be heard if you are starving, have no home or need urgent aid. So we provide that while we listen. And once that first connection is made, we know the key to really making the changes we want to experience happen is to take action - so we provide a wide range of social action projects that make that possible. We don't do one, without the other.
3. Mind & body are the ultimate team!
Everything we do is designed to not only create personal and social change, but also to get the mind and body working together, to the same agenda. We don't look at mental health separately to physical health, nor vice versa. Sometimes our mind is dominant - telling us we can't achieve something, even if our body is actually capable. Sometimes our body finds it can't physically do what our mind would like it to. Creating wellbeing is about winning hearts & minds and creating both emotional desire and practical capability in equal measure.
4. There is no truth - only perception
We start at your version of reality - not ours. And no two people are the same or have the same starting point, even if they face the same issue or difficulty - so our programmes and events don't either. Each thing we do is bespoke - designed for and with the individual, or community. We can change perceptions, or reinforce them - making the choice is our gift to be used wisely, because truth starts where perception becomes a reality.
5. Act as if!
We don't accept that today's realities have to be forever. We believe in exploring the impossibilities - even if our ambitions seem high or people shake their heads in disbelief, we own our vision, model it as if it is happening, and take actions that make it get closer. Belief and courage underpin our approach and we help people to adopt that attitude by providing hope to boost their own recovery and ambitions.
6. If we can - we do
Our core principle! If we see or hear something that is harming somebody's wellbeing, and we have the skills, knowledge, contacts, opportunity and resources to change even a small part of that equation - we get on and do it. Instantly, without prevarication. Collaboration, community, goodwill and trust make that happen. We support and commit to mentor other organisations to embrace this concept with us. Above all, it defines our core.