How to start a Be Well hub

A safe space tackling loneliness, preventing crises, and linking people with services they may never have found alone.

CureComm was born during the pandemic, when founder Shade Adeoye saw how deeply isolation was affecting local men. Even after lockdowns lifted, suicide rates among men remained high. Shade knew there needed to be a safe and consistent space where men could be seen, heard, and supported — and so the Live Life Project was created.

The project works with men facing unemployment, trauma, grief, poor health, or difficulty navigating the health system. It offers workshops, mind–body activities, one-to-one mentoring, and peer support groups. Demand quickly grew, and CureComm has since extended its work to women as well.

Being part of the Greenwich Be Well Programme has helped Shade and the organisation grow in confidence and visibility. CureComm now works in partnership with NHS services like Time to Talk, who run workshops in their space. This has been “a game-changer” — bringing expert support into a trusted grassroots setting.

Empowering young people to change their lives, while strengthening the leaders and communities who support them.

I Am In Me, founded by Sasha Gay Smith, is a small charity with a huge reach. With just three staff and 50 volunteers, they support young people aged 14–25, especially those at risk of exclusion. The charity focuses on life skills, personal development, and helping young people see a future for themselves.

One young man, Simon, came to the group with a disability, a history of offending and no job. Over 15 weeks of support, he gained confidence, stayed out of trouble, and secured a place at college. “The sessions helped me not to reoffend, get ready for work and improve my confidence,” Simon said.

Joining Be Well has been transformational for Sasha as a leader too. She has received mentoring, training and access to a network of peers facing similar challenges. This support has helped her shape her organisation, grow her own resilience, and join larger campaigns on housing and immigration.

A joined-up approach making mental health support accessible in familiar community places like libraries.

In Sutton, Be Well training brought organisations together in new ways. A partnership grew between the library service, Sutton Council’s Family Hub, the Mental Health Foundation, health visitors, and local NHS teams. They now run wellbeing sessions for parents and carers at Sutton Library.

These sessions are practical and wide-ranging, offering advice on domestic abuse, housing, financial challenges, and mental health. Families can connect with professionals in a safe, everyday setting, where the focus is on listening and building trust. One Champion said: “Community settings are a perfect place for de-stigmatising mental health.”

Staff describe the programme as “inspiring and reinvigorating.” It has created a stage for people to be listened to without judgement, and built strong partnerships that no single service could have delivered alone. The project is now growing stronger, with new sessions for refugee communities and stronger links between local organisations.

A welcoming café blending good coffee with community care, creating everyday opportunities to connect and feel supported.

The Metronome Café in Morden looks like a coffee shop, but it has become much more. Since joining Be Well in 2024, it has turned into a hub for connection, creativity and support. The café team wanted to do more for their community and saw Be Well training as a way to build the skills they needed.

All staff took part in Be Well training in mental health awareness, active listening and safeguarding. They say it changed their mindset, giving them confidence to support customers while also looking after their own wellbeing. Staff now apply these skills every day — whether chatting with regulars or spotting when someone might need extra help.

The café now hosts a young carers group, a monthly “Space to Talk” drop-in, dementia support sessions, and even music events to bring people together. Staff continue to learn from other Be Well sites through the community of practice. As manager Tom Featherston puts it, “Being part of Be Well has really helped us think about how we interact with our customers, and how we support the wellbeing of our staff too.”

A whole-school approach where children, parents and teachers all play a role in improving mental health and community wellbeing.

At Plumcroft Primary School, wellbeing is built into the school day. Over 140 staff have completed Be Well training, giving teachers the confidence to support children and parents. Pupils themselves are also leading change, with Year 6 “Wellbeing Ambassadors” running playground peer support and even introducing a wellbeing dog.

Parents are actively involved through coffee mornings and listening sessions, where they can talk openly about challenges and share solutions. Staff describe the Be Well programme as helping them adopt a growth mindset, always looking for the next step to strengthen wellbeing across the whole school.

Plumcroft pupils are not just improving their own school — they are part of the wider Be Well movement. They have joined housing campaigns, spoken to MPs, and created animations about the impact of temporary housing on children’s mental health. The school is now helping other schools across south London to follow their lead.