Bernie and Sue are boosting spirits
Shocked by the scale of the mental health crisis among the UK’s farming and rural communities, Bernie Parks and Sue Anderson set up Ikigai Hub to support those in need in rural County Durham.
Ikigai, named after the Japanese word meaning ‘the thing that gets you up in the morning’ aims to help others find what motivates them and improve their wellbeing.
Many of the 300 people it has supported, primarily from hard-to-reach backgrounds, said they felt isolated prior to receiving support, however the support from Ikigai and the chance to meet others with shared experiences has allowed them to open up and find themselves.
“Farming and life in rural communities can be a very isolating job,” Bernie said.
“Families also often experience isolation, so we’re giving them a chance to meet others sharing similar lived experience and talk openly about their worries.”
Ikigai hosts its personal and group sessions in community hubs around Barnard Castle but is also in the process of renovating an old school room to launch its own community hub and reach even more people from across the lower Durham dales.
Sue added: “Opening our own community hub will allow us to increase our service offering by hosting events designed by those we support, providing grief counselling and giving people somewhere where they won’t feel judged and can really find their life purpose.”
Ikigai’s support has figuratively and literally proven such a lifeline that it now has over 30 volunteers supporting its efforts to establish a community hub, and with further plans to increase its support in the pipeline, it is already proving to be a vital community asset.
Ikigai Hub was supported by the Social Enterprise Durham Boost programme, delivered by the North East BIC.
Social Enterprise Durham Boost is one of six pilot initiatives being delivered across England, funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. The programme has helped dozens of County Durham social entrepreneurs start up and grow purpose-led enterprises.
To find out more or to get involved, visit: https://www.ne-bic.co.uk/social-boost-durham/ or phone: 0191 516 6138.