Kintsugi Hope wants to support churches to become mental health friendly spaces for the broken and hurting. Right now, mental and emotional wellbeing is more essential than ever; over the course of the pandemic, we have seen social isolation increase, and people’s mental health deteriorate significantly – more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people said that their mental health had deteriorated during lockdown restrictions, between April and May 2020 alone*. More recent data (from April 2021) shows that the number of people contacting the NHS seeking help for mental health problems is now at a record high. There is an urgent need for increased resilience in our communities, and for churches – who are already in every community within the UK – to invest in people’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Kintsugi Hope can support churches to do just that. 

 

Kintsugi Hope’s vision is to see a world where mental and emotional health is accepted and understood, with safe and supportive communities for everyone to grow and flourish. ‘Kintsugi’ (literally ‘golden joinery’) is a Japanese technique for repairing pottery with seams of gold. This repairs the brokenness in a way that makes the object more beautiful than it was prior to being broken. Instead of hiding the scars it makes a feature of them. God does the same with us – he remodels us into something more rare and beautiful because of (not in spite of) our flaws and broken parts. Understanding this and opening up about our own struggles, helps other people feel less alone in theirs, and able to heal and grow.

 

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups are for anyone who has been or is overwhelmed – which can happen to anyone! Our groups provide community, friendship, self-management tools and reassurance that it’s OK to be struggling, but not OK to stay struggling. 

 

 

• Safety and support where there is no shame and embarrassment in struggling

• An increase in self-worth, confidence, and wellbeing

• A deeper understanding of the reality of God’s love

• Clear pathways to receive additional support if needed (signposting). 

 

 

• Recommended mental health charities and groups: 

- Kintsugi Hope - https://www.kintsugihope.com/ 

- Renew Wellbeing - https://www.renewwellbeing.org.uk 

- Mind and Soul - https://www.mindandsoulfoundation.org

- Sanctuary -  https://www.sanctuarymentalhealth.org

• Resources churches and charities can use to run mental health groups - https://kintsugihope.com/groups

 

• Information about how Kintsugi supports mental health - https://kintsugihope.com/support