A crisis cafe for young people has been praised for offering a safe space.

The National Lottery-funded project offers hot meals, as well as support, music lessons, training and a quiet place to complete homework.

The facility, located next to Newry bus station, is open after school and in the afternoons for young people.

Crisis Café manager Louise Quinn said the whole idea is to be there to help people.

He described it as early intervention, which helps prevent problems from reaching a crisis point.

“From the need for a hot meal and a place to do homework, to music lessons and barista training, we have a lot to suit everyone’s interests, but basically we are there to help young people if they had a bad day or “They face more serious challenges in their lives,” he said.

“All the sessions we run are called ‘cafés’ because we like them to be informal, social and welcoming, not strict or clinical. Young people decide the themes of the café, which currently include support with art assignments, photography, LGBTQAI+ support and a café for 18-25 year olds. We have had to extend our opening hours with more and more young people coming through our doors.

“All the activities we do contribute to positive mental health and creating connections, but we also have more focused mental health support through informal chats or counseling sessions.

“We find that once we get young people through the doors and they have settled into our coffee sessions, they become more confident in talking about any mental health issues, such as anxiety and low mood.”

Tara Haffey, 18, is one of the young people who attends regularly and is now part of the Youth Advisory Council.

“At school I always felt a little out of place and couldn’t talk about my mental health like anyone else,” she said.

“When I started coming here, I felt comfortable and normal: everyone is welcome, they accept you for who you are and they don’t judge you for how you feel. “It’s a positive social space that always lifts my spirits.”

Grainne Graham, who helps run the cafes, along with volunteers, added: “Louise and I are always available for informal chats, which could be just talking about their day or how they are feeling.

“We want young people to enjoy coming here and not feel pressured to speak up if they don’t feel comfortable.

“Then we get to know them and learn their interests and strengths, so if something is wrong and they’ve had a bad day, we can have a conversation and be authentic, point out the positive aspects of themselves and help them reflect.

“We’re always building our relationship and trust with them, so they don’t have to talk to us only when it’s serious and there’s no stigma attached to talking to us.”

The group received a £336,881 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund last year to run three years of activities to help young people build friendships and feel safe accessing services without facing any stigma.

Crisis Cafe also took part in the National Lottery’s People’s Projects campaign and won £69,740, thanks to the public voting for them, to provide additional support to young people to tackle digital and food poverty.

Some £786 million has been awarded to communities across Northern Ireland since the first National Lottery draw in 1994.

For more information about the funds available from the National Lottery, visit www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.