Latest news with #TidyButt
South Wales Argus
13 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
New mental health café opens in Sebastopol, Pontypool
'Grounded Coffee & Wellness' created by mental health charity Tidy Butt is Sebastopol's newest mental health space. Last Sunday on June 15 the team welcomed the community inside with a wellness themed launch party. At the party visitors enjoyed locally made coffee, sampled baked goods and enjoyed ice baths and a woodfire sauna experience. The café's brand-new therapy rooms were also on show. Matthew Creel of Tidy Butt wellness café (Image: NQ) 42-year-old Matthew Creel is the brain behind Tidy Butt. Speaking of Sunday's launch he said: 'Seeing people turn up today and the amount of people that have come in support of us is absolutely incredible. 'People of all ages coming in and enjoying the space and that was our decision from the beginning really. 'It's been a labour of love because we've all been working full time, and we've got families but to see the growth of what we've actually achieved with everybody's support within the community has been absolutely incredible It's mind blowing.' Matthew explained how Tidy Butt was created. The inside of Tidy Butt wellness café (Image: NQ) 'I kind of lost out on a promising rugby carer to a heart condition. I never really dealt with the loss of kind of losing my career as such. 'As a result of that at pre lock down I was kind of at my lowest point but with my wife's support I plucked up the courage I went to the doctor. 'I started looking in my local area mental health wise to see if there was anything I could get involved with. I didn't feel like anything fitted for me at that time, so I thought you know what I'm going to start my own.' Matthew had the following advice to anyone struggling: 'If somebody is struggling, they can come in and have a coffee, they can come to have a chat. 'They can access support upstairs via the counselling, and I just think it's another avenue for people to come down.' Matthew Creel with UFC fighter Mason Jones outside the café (Image: NQ) 30-year-old Mason Jones from Blaenavon is a professional UFC fighter and ambassador for the charity. Despite a thriving UFC career, he's also struggled with his mental health. Mason said: 'I went from fighting in front of 18,000 people to having to deal with a lot of problems with my family and injuries it was a lot in one time. 'I've worked with sports therapists before but actually working with someone about my own mental health was massively important.' He added: 'Reaching out to someone who is actually a professional is a big thing.' Emma Robinson outside the Little Lee Therapy rooms (Image: NQ) Also invited to the launch event was 33-year-old Emma Robinson. Back in 2023, Emma's brother Lee Robinson took his own life just aged 42. The family, alongside Pontypool United, held 'Little Lee Fest', a festival in Lee's memory, with all proceeds going to Tidy Butt and managed to raise over £7000. Lee's memory was honoured at the event with the naming of the 'Little Lee' therapy rooms. Speaking of this Emma said: 'We are thankful that they've still got Lee in mind. 'It's a bad day not a bad life help is out there even though you're struggling and when you're in that dark place there is support out there and you can get out of it.' Community reaction to the event was also positive. Helen King and Reg King in the ice baths (Image: NQ) 52-year-old Helen King and 53-year-old Reg King enjoyed the ice bath and sauna sessions. Helen said: 'It is amazing, I think for women of a certain age going through things like menopause, suffer quite a lot with anxiety so it's really helped and having this resource locally is brilliant.' Reg added: 'It looks good I'm glad there's something here for peoples mental support.' For more information click here.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'There's support out there' - we visit new wellness café in Gwent town
A brand-new mental health café has opened its doors in Pontypool. 'Grounded Coffee & Wellness' created by mental health charity Tidy Butt is Sebastopol's newest mental health space. Last Sunday on June 15 the team welcomed the community inside with a wellness themed launch party. At the party visitors enjoyed locally made coffee, sampled baked goods and enjoyed ice baths and a woodfire sauna experience. The café's brand-new therapy rooms were also on show. Matthew Creel of Tidy Butt wellness café (Image: NQ) 42-year-old Matthew Creel is the brain behind Tidy Butt. Speaking of Sunday's launch he said: 'Seeing people turn up today and the amount of people that have come in support of us is absolutely incredible. 'People of all ages coming in and enjoying the space and that was our decision from the beginning really. 'It's been a labour of love because we've all been working full time, and we've got families but to see the growth of what we've actually achieved with everybody's support within the community has been absolutely incredible It's mind blowing.' Matthew explained how Tidy Butt was created. The inside of Tidy Butt wellness café (Image: NQ) 'I kind of lost out on a promising rugby carer to a heart condition. I never really dealt with the loss of kind of losing my career as such. 'As a result of that at pre lock down I was kind of at my lowest point but with my wife's support I plucked up the courage I went to the doctor. 'I started looking in my local area mental health wise to see if there was anything I could get involved with. I didn't feel like anything fitted for me at that time, so I thought you know what I'm going to start my own.' Matthew had the following advice to anyone struggling: 'If somebody is struggling, they can come in and have a coffee, they can come to have a chat. 'They can access support upstairs via the counselling, and I just think it's another avenue for people to come down.' Matthew Creel with UFC fighter Mason Jones outside the café (Image: NQ) 30-year-old Mason Jones from Blaenavon is a professional UFC fighter and ambassador for the charity. Despite a thriving UFC career, he's also struggled with his mental health. Mason said: 'I went from fighting in front of 18,000 people to having to deal with a lot of problems with my family and injuries it was a lot in one time. 'I've worked with sports therapists before but actually working with someone about my own mental health was massively important.' He added: 'Reaching out to someone who is actually a professional is a big thing.' Emma Robinson outside the Little Lee Therapy rooms (Image: NQ) Also invited to the launch event was 33-year-old Emma Robinson. Back in 2023, Emma's brother Lee Robinson took his own life just aged 42. The family, alongside Pontypool United, held 'Little Lee Fest', a festival in Lee's memory, with all proceeds going to Tidy Butt and managed to raise over £7000. Lee's memory was honoured at the event with the naming of the 'Little Lee' therapy rooms. Speaking of this Emma said: 'We are thankful that they've still got Lee in mind. 'It's a bad day not a bad life help is out there even though you're struggling and when you're in that dark place there is support out there and you can get out of it.' Community reaction to the event was also positive. Helen King and Reg King in the ice baths (Image: NQ) 52-year-old Helen King and 53-year-old Reg King enjoyed the ice bath and sauna sessions. Helen said: 'It is amazing, I think for women of a certain age going through things like menopause, suffer quite a lot with anxiety so it's really helped and having this resource locally is brilliant.' Reg added: 'It looks good I'm glad there's something here for peoples mental support.' For more information click here.
South Wales Argus
05-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
A new mental health café and event space is opening in Pontypool
'Grounded Coffee & Wellness' created by mental health charity Tidy Butt is Sebastopol's newest mental health space. Tidy Butt is a mental health charity run by Rhys Thomas 42, Matthew Creel 42 and Keziah Green 38. The charity was formed during lockdown back in 2020 by Matthew and started life as an online group where people could talk through their problems. Matthew and Rhys have an interesting relationship. Rhys himself is an ex-international rugby player whose played for Newport RFC, Dragons, Scarlets and Wales. Matthew, also heavily involved in rugby, was Rhys's captain. The charity was born out of difficult personal circumstances. At only 19 a serious heart condition cut Abertillery born Matthew's rugby career short and because of this he fell into a depressive state. South African born Rhys has similarly has also struggled with mental health in the past. He's battled addiction and also suffered a career changing heart attack in November 2007, caused by a knock during a match between the Dragons and Northampton. The Tidy Butt Team (left to right) Matthew Creel 42, Keziah Green 38 and Rhys Thomas 42 (Image: Keziah Green) Speaking of the café the Tidy Butt team posted online: 'We're thrilled to announce the opening of Grounded – our very first coffee shop and wellness centre in the heart of Sebastopol, Pontypool. 'This has been a true labour of love from our tiny but mighty team of three here at Tidy Butt, and we're proud to have brought this dream to life with the help of kind donations and incredible support from local businesses, people in our community and of course our Tidy Butt Ambassadors. 'Community and connection have always been at the heart of what we do, and now we finally have a physical space to bring people together – to talk, to connect, to just be.' The Tidy Butt Team (left to right) Matthew Creel 42, Keziah Green 38 and Rhys Thomas 42 (Image: Keziah Green) Co-founders of Tidy Butt Matthew Creel 42 and Rhys Thomas 42 (Image: Keziah Green) Tidy Butt's popularity has grown, so much that the group has also been able to provide free counselling sessions for members of the public at their HQ in Sebastopol. Speaking of the new venture Keziah Green Rhys's partner said: 'It'll be a coffee shop by day and an event space by night. 'Rhys and Matt's vision has always been to create a sort of wellness centre of sorts and it's just amazing we are so grateful for that.' Rhys Thomas 42 of Tidy Butt carrying out a cold-water therapy session (Image: Keziah Green) A grand opening party for Grounded Coffee & Wellness will be held at Bevans Yard Unit 1 NP4 5QB. The event will be running from 10am-4pm. There will be a variety of wellness themed activities available including a free sauna and free cold plunges. A live DJ will be playing at the event all day and tonnes of coffee for people to enjoy will also be served. Locals are invited to 'save the date' and join the Tidy Butt team for a grand opening taking place Sunday June 15.
