Butterfly Effect Wellbeing received an Asda Foundation grant for £25,000 which goes a long way to achieving their goal of £60,000 to renovate an existing building to meet the group's expanding needs.   

The group have outgrown their current community hub as demand for their services has increased rapidly.   

Butterfly effect wellbeing is a non-judgmental group that offers space to listen, accept, encourage and support those that need it.   

The group’s community hub is open daily and offers a variety of activities to help those experiencing mental ill health and also on a social aspect. These currently include meditation, sound therapy, craft groups, women’s groups, men’s groups, cooking on a budget, baby and me sessions, children’s support groups, and chill ‘n’ chat for teenagers, social support groups, SOBS, sing-a-long with me, walk and talk, stroll n snap. They also offer food on various days for anyone to collect, to help with the cost of living. 

Angela Hannibal, founder of the group, added: “I’m still in disbelief and lost for words after receiving the news we were successful for funding from the Asda Foundation, this means so much to us! We are here to offer interim help for those with mental ill health, as there is currently a long wait list. We hope this will cut down the suicide rate, as this is very high in Harlow. We want to continue helping people in the current crisis and offer somewhere safe to come to and feel part of the community."

"This grant will enable us to expand and grow our community space to make it more inclusive, bigger and better. We will have a bigger building and outdoor space, meaning that we will be able to help so many more people in the community. This money means we can improve the quality of the service we offer and create a more inviting and accessible space for the local people who use it. We will have a secure garden for families to come together, as many have no outside space. This grant also future proofs our work so we can continue to offer our services long into the future. Thank you for making this possible.” 

Gemma Dennis, Asda Community Champion at Harlow, added: “I was thrilled to be able to present this amazing group with Asda Foundation funding, it was a great moment and I will never forget it. This group is already a huge benefit to people in our town, this funding to help create a permanent base will have a massive impact on our community and mean even more groups and activities can use the new space!”