Warwick business to host more pop-ups offering services for the community

People Arches Ltd, the company behind McDonald’s on Emscote Road, has already teamed up with Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind to offer a site for its well-being vehicle to park, offering a mobile ‘Safe Haven’ for those suffering mental health distress.

After the success of the service, which attracted record numbers of service users in the period it ran, the same venue is now offering more community-focused services through collaborations with Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind as well as Citizens Advice.

From Friday August 15, a coffee club with Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind will take place on the site, giving people the opportunity to have a free hot drink while meeting with others as well as getting advice and support where needed.

Dee Hodgson, from the outreach office at Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind, said: “We are always looking for new ways to break down stigma and reduce the barriers that people tell us they have and continue to experience when it comes to seeking mental health support.

“Our mobile Safe Haven at Emscote Road McDonald’s proved a huge success, and we’re looking forward to building on that by offering weekly coffee mornings on Fridays, giving people a place to come together, meet new friends, and reduce isolation, as well as seeking support.

“There is a common myth that people need to join lengthy waiting lists to gain much needed support, but we want to raise awareness of the fact that we have services that can be accessed on the day.”

The coffee mornings will initially run for four weeks and if popular, plans will be made to expand them, as has been the case for the Safe Haven.

The mobile Safe Haven initially parked up at McDonald’s on four Thursday evenings across May, June and July - during which the charity said it received the highest number of service users since it started in July 2024.

Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind said its figures showed in the quarter covered by the visits, there was a 250 per cent increase in the number of face-to-face contacts with service users, and double the number of overall contacts.

Safe Haven will be set up at the business from 6pm to 10.30pm on:

• Thursday August 14

• Thursday, August 28
• Thursday September 11

People Arches has also partnered with Citizens Advice, which will see its Mobile Advice Centre (MAC) park weekly in its car park, delivering a range of advice and support.

As a Cadent-funded project, two fully trained Citizens Advice staff provide energy advice including help and support with understanding energy bills, housing, employment issues, relationship breakdown, consumer and benefit checks.

The MAC will park weekly at McDonald’s on a Friday afternoon from 1pm to 5pm, starting on September 12.

People Arches Ltd founder Dawood Ibtehsam said: “Community work is something we take incredibly seriously at People Arches Ltd, and are gradually building up the work we do to help our local community, from litter picks to volunteer days, and now by providing a place for these community services to be hosted for the people of Warwick.

“As well as providing a venue for these pop-ups, we ensure staff and volunteers are fed and watered, with full use of our facilities, and our coffee mornings will also see us provide free hot drinks for participants.

"These may seem like small things, but if they contribute to ensuring that these services are available for the community in Warwick, in a friendly, non-intimidating environment, then they can make a huge difference.”