The Sunderland cafe which serves up counselling as well as home-cooked classics
The unique cafe is marking five years in the city.
A Sunderland counselling cafe set up in memory of a popular 25-year-old is marking five years of serving the community.
City businessman Steve Lynn transformed the old Elizabeth’s cafe back in 2021 in a bid to make mental health support more accessible to all.
It was a labour of love turning the site in Bridge Street into a large cafe, with its own counselling rooms and a multi-purpose community room.
Today, it’s a real community asset born from unimaginable grief after Steve’s son, Steve Jnr, died after contracting the flu in 2018.
Counselling helped Steve to live with the grief - and he felt inspired to help others with their mental health, naming the cafe in memory of his son.
Steve Jnr was known affectionately as Betsy since his primary school days, with Jenny an amalgamation of Steve’s parents’ names, Jean and Kenny, who died shortly before their grandson.
Today, as well as being a cafe serving home-comfort food, it hosts mostly free counselling sessions for a whole host of people, as well as hosting groups including a men’s mental group, an autism group, bingo and chess groups, sound baths, yoga, a men’s pie club and many more.
Steve said: “I’m so proud, and the fact that my son’s and parents’ names are in the name of the cafe makes me proudest of all.
"Many people handle break downs and difficulties in different ways. For me, I’ve always been a positive person and I wanted to do something to give something back to Sunderland. The stigma around mental health is huge and I wanted to do my bit to break it down.”
Betsy Jenny has two members of staff, Tracy Dawson and Christine Whitworth, and 25 volunteers across the hospitality and counselling offering.
Steve said: “It’s really evolved since Tracy came on board with her experience in the counselling side and is at the place where it should be now.”
Many of the counselling sessions, from qualified counsellors, are delivered for free or at reduced cost.
Some people are referred to Betsy Jenny, but many self-refer or come in for a coffee at first before asking for help.
In the past year, 125 people have used the counselling services.
Tracy said: “Having an informal, happy and colourful space is so helpful for people. Sometimes people come in for five, six weeks for coffees, before reaching out for help.
“Coming through the door can be the hardest part for some people, but they feel like they get a hug when they walk in here - down to the smiles on the walls. Waiting lists can be crazy on the NHS, but this makes it more accessible for people.
“It’s such a unique place, because it offers so much.”
And of course anyone can just call in and use the cafe, which serves foods such as breakfasts, pies, cakes and pasta bakes at reasonable prices.
The cafe side has been affected by the opening of Keel Crossing, with fewer people passing en route to Wearmouth Bridge, but the team want to remind people they are there.
Volunteers at the cafe come from all walks of life and volunteering has helped many to access training courses and gain employment.
Ray Moore started volunteering 18 months ago and say it’s been really rewarding. So much so, he founded an autism group, which meets fortnightly at the cafe.
“I was just passing by and had heard good things about it, so looked it up,” he said. “I have autism myself and coming here I built up such a rapport with the other volunteers.
“It’s great working with the other volunteers and all the people you meet. It’s also very autism friendly with its layout and colours.”
*Betsy Jenny, Bridge Street, Sunderland city centre, is open Monday to Saturday from 10am as a cafe. For more on its wide range of services, groups and room hire, see here: https://betsyjennywellbeingcafe.timetabla.com/