Gulf Today
Pain cafes face closure without further funding 14 minutes ago Jane Douglas South West BBC Julie Widdecombe launched the cafes after realising there was little community support available for those with chronic pain A support network helping people live with chronic pain in Cornwall and Devon could be forced to close unless funding is secured by April, its founder has said. Chronic pain coach Julie Widdecombe set up the pain cafes in 2023 in Plymouth, Devon, to bring together people living with long-term pain, helping them share experiences and learn practical ways to manage their condition. The National Lottery provided initial funding; there was later a Devon Community Foundation grant and fundraising events have been held.
While demand has grown, finding ongoing funding has proved challenging and Widdecombe said: "We help so many people and I don't want to turn my back on them." People who use the cafe share advice about managing and living with pain Widdecombe said she launched the first pain cafe after realising there was very little community support available for those with chronic pain. The former science teacher said the cafes were transforming lives by reducing the isolation that often came with living in constant pain. One group member struggles to walk on her own and said the group kept her mobile.
"I've found it very beneficial," she said, adding that the service was "so needed". "There's nothing for pain in the way that this provides a service and that's a great shame." Helping carry out gentle exercise is one of the services the pain cafes offer Widdecombe herself suffered a life-changing spinal injury in 2020. "I'd had several operations.
I had been mostly paralysed in a wheelchair and I had a long recovery ahead of me. At the time I felt really lonely," she said. Widdecombe was later referred to a pain management unit at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital, which she said changed her outlook and helped her learn how to live positively with chronic pain.
She said: "It took probably 18 months to two years to come to terms with what it was going to be like to live with chronic pain and to take positive steps forwards." Widdecombe now manages and volunteers at seven pain cafe groups. The sessions give people living with chronic pain an opportunity to meet others facing similar challenges, share advice and learn pain management techniques. Those attending could take part in gentle exercise classes, including Pilates or yoga.
Devon Community Foundation gave the clinics a £5,000 grant in 2025. CEO Mary Hancock said it was a "wonderful community interest" and registered local community groups were eligible to apply for future funding. Widdecombe said the project had earned praise from healthcare professionals, with referrals regularly coming from social prescribers and GPs.
However, the funding that helped establish the network is coming to an end and she said finding replacement financial support had proven increasingly difficult. Another user said: "This fills a gap that shouldn't be there. Without this there's a lot of people in Plymouth that will miss the support." Widdecombe said the prospect of closure made her "really upset" and she had submitted applications to various organisations.
"I've poured my heart and soul into this for three years, so I don't want it to end. "People tell us they feel heard and they feel understood," she added. Widdecombe's pain cafe network is separate from a series of 15 pain cafes launched by Chronic Pain In Cornwall three years ago.
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Source: BBC
