Complete Kindness CIC is a cafe and community space in Tyldesley, set up by Dionne Doherty to help support people with their emotional and mental health needs, as well as their overall wellbeing. Here Dionne tells us all about it.
“In lockdown, I felt like everybody had some time for introspection, thinking about why we were here and what we were doing with our lives.
“I was already working as a psychotherapist with a private practice, and I had converted a campervan so that I could take it round to people’s houses to allow young people to get some mental health support during the pandemic.”
Once the lockdown was over, Dionne formed a plan to get a space set up to help the community.
“Me and my husband had some money, saved from over three years of not going on holiday, and not going out for meals or seeing family and friends so this gave us the opportunity to open the cafe and community space.
“My husband is a surveyor so he helped by drawing plans and changed the premises by splitting the open space into three separate rooms.
“We now have the big community room, the cafe space and a therapy room where I can see people privately.
“I felt really motivated to build this space to support people’s wellbeing and mental health needs.
“I knew if I could provide the physical space that our community would have somewhere to come together and help each other too.
“At Complete Kindness we have mental health professionals available to see individuals privately if needed but there are also lots of interesting and caring local people volunteering their time to help others.
“Local people with experience of living with a condition, or of supporting others, help by visiting the cafe and connecting with our customers.
“There is always someone around to listen and give support, even if it’s just to lend an ear so you can offload.”
The cafe hosts different sessions
“We have meditation sessions, walking groups, yoga sessions, massage and reflexology sessions, mindfulness, children’s creative sessions and a knit and natter group, as well as lots of other groups too.
“The private therapy space is available for individuals or families to get confidential support and the community space can be used by local groups and other social enterprises as well as our existing groups.”
Dionne has faced some difficult times in her life, such as addiction and abuse, and this has given her the empathy and training to help others.
“I hope people feel that they can trust me as I have had these experiences and understand some of their issues first-hand, we all share our experiences in the cafe space, it is a safe and supportive place.
“Anyone is welcome to use the cafe, but they can also find a community to help them with whatever support they might need.
“I work with people of any age, it’s as and when, sometimes you don’t need therapy every week.
“The rule is that we listen, accept and not judge, you get to say your piece and be honest.”
Complete Kindness can offer support when you need it, delicious drinks, tasty food, and great activities.
“Anyone can come in for a drink or a meal, we serve lots of different food, our Facebook page shows what’s on offer each week.
“We try to get our food from local organisations that prevent food from going to landfills, such as Use Ya Loaf in Atherton. The food might be close to its sell-by date, so we buy, cook and sell all on the same day!
“We have different groups for all ages and interests, and we are always listening to our community and improving or facilitating new groups.
“We have spaces in the timetable for new groups and new ideas, and we can offer support for these groups to be created.
“I believe people have ‘super powers’, these come from us helping others to see that once they are healing from difficult life experiences they can help others, that becomes their special ‘super power’.
“When people realise that they can use those experiences to support others who aren’t as far along on their journey it can make sense of those harder times they had in their own lives.
“Lots of our customers become our volunteers and they are all amazing!”
Take a look at what’s on the menu and what activities are on here.
The cafe is open at 10am-2:30pm, Tuesday-Friday and groups or therapy sessions happen during the daytime too or evenings at our premises, 249 Elliott Street, Tyldesley, M29 8DG
Take a look at our Facebook or Instagram page for more information.
