This January David Lloyd Clubs is opening a unique pop-up restaurant designed specifically to complement positive mental health. ‘The Good Plates’ is being created in collaboration with experts in nutritional therapy and interior design. The restaurant provides an interactive and enjoyable way to learn about how certain foods, surroundings and social interactions can complement overall wellbeing when introduced into daily life.

All parts of the restaurant are designed with positive mental wellbeing in mind, including: the food, the tableware, the décor and colour scheme, the lighting, music, the communal seating and conversational prompts provided to diners. 

‘The Good Plates’ menu is being created by chef and mental health ambassador Andrew Clarke under the supervision of nutritional therapist Ian Marber. Andrew Clarke is also the co-founder of the Pilot Light campaign, which is devoted to combating the stigma surrounding mental health in hospitality.

When creating ‘The Good Plates’ menu Andrew Clarke and Ian Marber focused on two things: firstly, what the brain – which is made up in large part of essential fatty acids, water and other nutrients – needs to remain healthy which is complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and water; and secondly what helps the gut. The gut is considered the second brain and for this to remain healthy it needs to have plenty of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, beans, pulses, live yoghurt and other probiotics.

Therefore, the six-course sharing menu comprises seasonal, mood-boosting foods as well as ingredients that take this research into consideration and which are known to complement positive mental health. Cauliflower, salsify and almonds, for example, can help with feelings of anxiety and stress when introduced into a regular diet. A range of complementary non-alcohol beverages will also be on the menu.

In addition to expert consultation on the food, David Lloyd Clubs is working with interior design professional Katharine Pooley, using research to guide the décor, lighting and layout of the environment – to ensure that all parts of the restaurant are designed with positive wellbeing in mind. As a part of this, all of the seating is communal to encourage conversations between diners (with conversation-starters provided).

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs, commented: “The Good Plates restaurant is not an attempt to be a cure or quick-fix for mental health difficulties, but instead simply be a warm and welcoming place where people can learn in an interactive way how certain foods, surroundings and conversations can complement positive mental wellbeing when they form part of everyday life. Inside, the aim is to give guests a positive experience and hopefully they will feel that they have benefitted in some small way from their time at the restaurant. But we also hope guests leave having taken on board some of the thinking behind The Good Plates and introduce this into their day-to-day lives.”

The Good Plates restaurant will be open at 46 Great Eastern Street, London,  on the 22^nd and 23^rd January. Diners hoping to secure their space at The Good Plates restaurant can find out more by visiting: https://www.universe.com/events/the-good-plates-restaurant-tickets-RTHNF4. The experience will cost £10, which includes six dishes plus up to three non-alcoholic cocktails. All money from bookings will go to charity Mind, the mental health charity.

Dishes inspired by Andrew’s recipes and The Good Plates restaurant will be available in David Lloyd clubrooms in January.

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Mental health charity Mind is calling on men to help raise awareness and funds for the work it does by shaving their facial hair off during April – or Shaveril, as the charity and marketing agency Brickwall have renamed it.

Brickwall, based in London’s Shoreditch, bastion of the modern beard revival, came up with the idea and is challenging men to shave off their beards for charity then post a before and after picture or video to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #shaveril.

They are then being encouraged to nominate a friend to either do the same or donate to Mind using a text code or online link.

Brickwall will be hosting a free pop-up barbers at The Hoxton, Shoreditch on April 14^th and is inviting male Londoners to come along from 5.00pm to have their beards shaved by professional East London barbers (including Thy Barbers, based in Shoreditch’s The Bike Shed) or participate in a shaving master class.

From April 1^st to 31^st, Thy Barbers will donate the proceeds of all shaves carried out on bearded men who book in for a full wet beard shave quoting Shaveril to Mind.

Maria Healy, Senior Community Fundraising Officer at Mind, says: “Not only will there be men all over town sporting a brand new look, but money raised will fund our vital work including the Mind Infoline, our advice services and the campaigning Mind does to secure a better deal for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year.”

Ian Noonan, King’s Teaching Fellow and Head of Department of Mental Health at Kings’ College London, has committed to shaving his beard as part of Shaveril. He says: “My beard has remained part of my identity for fifteen years. Shaving it off will make me pause and think about my identity, and how others see me. Having fun and sharing the before and after images on social media for Shaveril is a way of connecting – being part of something bigger than ourselves, which for me has always been one of the things that protects my mental health. It is also a great way to bring attention to the work of MIND and raise money to support them.”

Mind has successfully campaigned for change in the way mental health is viewed and how those who suffer are supported for 70 years. The charity provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem and campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

Anyone who wants to support Mind’s work can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/shaveril/ or text SHAV68 with the amount £5, £10 or £20 to 70070.

Brickwall is a creative production studio based in Shoreditch, which specialises in producing film, animation and digital platforms for charities and the public sector.

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Mind, the mental health charity, and media agency MEC have launched a new campaign enlisting celebrities to encourage people to open up about what is making them anxious.

The social media driven campaign, #TakeOffTheTape has already seen TV presenters, actors, models, sports men and women from across the country confirm that they will support the campaign, with CBBC presenter Ben Shires the first to take part.

Shires says: “It’s just so important for us to talk about the things that worry us. The team at Mind do such an amazing job supporting people across the country, and the least that I could do is open up just a little to share something that makes me anxious, and I know my friends and family will also be following suit by taking up the challenge.”

The new social campaign, developed by MEC for Mind, invites people to take a piece of paper, post-it-note or tape and write on it the one thing that makes them most anxious. They are then invited to take a selfie with the message over their mouth, then post that selfie to social media with the message: “Don’t be silenced! #TakeOffTheTape Text TAPE to 70660 and donate to @MindCharity www.mind.org.uk/tape.”

The tape over people’s mouths is being used as a symbol of everything that prevents people from talking about what makes them stressed or anxious.

Mind points out that despite many strong campaigns around mental health, the subject remains highly misunderstood. People are still reluctant to be open when they’re struggling to cope because of the reaction they fear from their friends and peers.

Ruth Richards at Mind says: “At some point, there are problems that everyone is likely to face. Whether it’s worry about work, money, our image, health, a loved one, exams – stress and anxiety are emotions we all encounter. If we don’t speak out and seek support, these feelings can build and start to impact on our quality of life, our relationships and our health. By encouraging everyone to talk more honestly about things being tough, we can help people feel more comfortable about admitting that they need some support.”

One in four people will experience a mental health problem in any given year, but Mind’s research shows that four out of five 18-34 year olds admitting to putting on a brave face when they are anxious. A quarter of 18-34 year olds also admitted to feeling that to show their emotions is a sign of weakness, even though one in five said they had cried in the past week because of anxiety. “With a better understanding of mental health, we hope more people will seek support early, before things become too much,” added Richards.

To find out more about the #TakeOffTheTape challenge, visit www.mind.org.uk/tape

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