Free sessions being held to help people in Coventry and Warwickshire cope with loneliness and anxiety this Christmas and New Year

Martin Horner and Julie Airey, from White Hart Community Groups, which provides a
number of groups and courses on behalf of Accelerate. Photo supplied — Martin Horner and Julie Airey, from White Hart Community Groups, which provides a number of groups and courses on behalf of Accelerate. Photo supplied

An organisation which provides vital free support to those who are unemployed across Coventry and Warwickshire is holding sessions to help people cope with loneliness and anxiety this Christmas and New Year.

The Accelerate project, which has offices in Coventry and Nuneaton but covers the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire, is set to hold a number of events in Coventry and via Zoom to support people’s mental health and well-being over the festive period and into the New Year.

Two ‘Making Christmas Fun Again’ events are being held on December 7 and will focus on how Covid impacted last year’s Christmas, how to make changes this year and how it’s okay not to feel okay over the festive period.

They are being held at Accelerate’s Coventry office, in Binley Road, and will provide people with useful skills to cope with loneliness, to accept what a person cannot control and to prepare for Christmas, and will also include a Christmas-themed lunch.

An event to help people adjust to the ‘new normal’ is also being held at the Coventry office on January 18.

The session is being held as a result of the organisation finding that many of its participants still have fears and anxieties around Covid-19 and will focus on appreciating things people have previously taken for granted, how things may be different going forward, managing change and uncertainty, building resilience and overcoming fears.

Places are still available for all of the free sessions.

Kate Henderson, opportunity connector at Coventry and Warwickshire CDA which manages Accelerate, said: “Christmas and New Year can be a very difficult period, so although we provide traditional employment support, it is also vitally important that we help people with their mental health and well-being, particularly at times when they need it the most.

“Our Christmas sessions will support those who have anxieties over the festive period, who struggle with loneliness or perhaps those who are not alone, but are coping with family issues, giving them useful skills to help them cope.

"We also have workshops to make seasonal items and a special Christmas Cupcake offer where we provide the recipe and ingredients and a tutorial on YouTube.

“We will also be letting people know about the various helplines they can access, where those who would otherwise be alone can get a free Christmas dinner and about the festive sessions that our partners are holding to ensure people have activities to take part in – things we will also be promoting on our social media accounts.

“On January 18 we will be holding an event to help people adjust to the ‘new normal’ as we are finding that many people we work with still have anxieties around Covid-19.

“The session will give people skills to help them move forward, cope with any fears they may have to ensure they feel comfortable and promote positive mental health.

“There are places available for all of the sessions, and we would urge anyone who would find them helpful to get in touch to book a place.”

Anyone wishing to find out more about the events as well as the support available is asked to contact Accelerate on 02476 633911.

Further information can also be found at www.accelerate.org.ukThose wishing to join the Accelerate programme need to be 19 or over and have the right to live and work in the UK.