A wellness center opens in Birmingham office block

A new deal has been struck to transform a vacant office building in Birmingham into a new cafe and wellness centre.

Birmingham-based mental health organization Living Well UK has reached a deal for 55 St Paul’s Square in the Jewelery Quarter.

The center will span three floors, with a cafe and wellness studio on the ground floor and two additional floors of therapy rooms above.

The facility will have nine therapy rooms available to smaller regional welfare organizations that have their own therapy space amid growing demand for face-to-face support.

The Wellbeing Studio will be dedicated to helping mental health staff access support for themselves.

According to recent research by the Care Quality Commission, NHS staff are generally twice as likely to record anxiety, stress or depression as the cause of sickness absence than any other reason.

Staff shortages and physical and verbal abuse are cited as key causes of concern.

The new space is the latest part of the ‘Grounded’ project, which is a partnership between Living Well UK and NHS England and will be called ‘Grounded’. St Paul’s when it opens in July.

It is the third location of its kind to be launched by Living Well UK in the past year, joining sister locations in Selly Oak, which opened last July and Hall Green in January.

The facilities group has already welcomed thousands of people through their doors and provided free workshops, speech therapy and created jobs for people who previously faced barriers to employment.

They also run craft, yoga and fitness classes and information points.

Ben Howells is Chief Executive of the Living Well Consortium, which comprises over 40 mental health organizations based in the West Midlands.

He said: “The launch of this third site is monumental in expanding the support and care that we at Living Well UK have always been dedicated to providing.

“Beyond the services for the city center community, we are incredibly proud that this site will also provide a dedicated space for mental health workers to visit when they need to decompress from the stress of their job. We are aware that caring for others can be incredibly demanding at times.

“Hopefully Grounded. St Paul’s will provide carers with a quiet and peaceful place to recharge and recover, ready to continue to provide the much-needed support that so many of us benefit from.”

He added: “Since launching in Selly Oak and Hall Green, we have seen a huge increase in the number of people engaging with our services and looking for the support they need. Mental health struggles are a fact of life, no matter who you are. or where you live.

“Not only are we able to provide support to people in their local area, but we actually see people using that support and engaging with each other.”