In November I visited Lewisham Hospital and heard about their plans to turn the old Sure Start centre into a mental health crisis café. Thankfully they were able to secure adequate funding and this café, The Harbour, opened in January.

I was able to visit The Harbour on Monday and was very impressed by both the space itself and the vision of the staff who run it. The café provides a safe space for those suffering with mental health problems who come to the emergency department at the hospital or are referred in by their GPs. They are able to talk to specialists, distract themselves with the facilities available or just relax in a space which is comfortable and safe. The Harbour is also open overnight, which staff told me is fairly unique for a safe space like this.

Despite not having been open long, staff at the Harbour are also looking ahead to the future, hoping to introduce activities such as cooking classes or gardening for those who use the café.

Thank you to Lewisham Hospital for having me down and I look forward to seeing what’s next for The Harbour.