NEW LOCATION FOR RUTLAND MENTAL HEALTH CAFE
Rutland’s weekly Neighbourhood Mental Health Café will be based in Oakham Library each Wednesday from May 2026 onwards.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Cafés offer local support for people who need help with their mental health. The cafés are drop-in centres for anyone to talk about their mental health in confidence and with no appointment needed. They are run on behalf of local councils and the NHS, with friendly, trained staff who can listen and provide free, practical support.
Local charity The Rural Community Council has taken over the running of Rutland’s Mental Health Café from Peppers – A Safe Place. Peppers continues to offer other mental health and wellbeing drop-in sessions in Oakham and Melton, throughout the rest of the week.
Councillor Diane Ellison, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health at Rutland County Council, said: “Rutland’s libraries have always been a source of information and resources to help people with their mental health. As we continue with our plans to offer more wellbeing and support services through our network of local libraries, we’re so pleased that Oakham Library will soon be hosting Rutland’s weekly Mental Health Café. It’s a fantastic service for anyone who needs a friendly face and a listening ear to talk to.”
The Rural Community Council charity has been working to support local communities for more than 100 years. This includes the charity’s highly successful Rural Coffee Connect scheme, which has been travelling around rural Leicestershire and Rutland since 2019.
The Rural Coffee Connect van will be based at Tesco in Oakham from 11:00am to 12:30pm and 1:00pm to 2:30pm on Wednesday 22 and 29 April, handing out free hot drinks and promoting the new Rutland Mental Health Café, before it moves into Oakham Library in May.
For more information about mental health support in Rutland and Leicestershire, including the locations of other Neighbourhood Mental Health Cafés, please visit: www.leicspart.nhs.uk/mental-health
For more information about The Rural Community Council, please visit: www.ruralcc.org.uk