You've probably heard of Blue Monday, the name given to the third Monday in January that is allegedly the most depressing day of the year. But what about ‘Brew Monday’?
What is Brew Monday?
Brew Monday is the brainchild of emotional support charity, Samaritans, and is designed to directly counteract the doom and gloom surrounding Blue Monday by encouraging people to reach out to their friends and family, arrange a catch-up over a coffee and enjoy some quality time together.
Those interested in taking part can also choose to raise funds for Samaritans by hosting a Brew Monday event. While the fundraising methods are up to the host, they typically involve baking cakes or biscuits then selling them to guests and sending the proceeds to Samaritans.
When Does Brew Monday 2023 Take Place?
Brew Monday takes place on the same day as Blue Monday which, this year, is on January 16th.
Why take part?
According to estimates, Samaritans responds to a call for help every 10 seconds from someone who is struggling to cope and wants to talk about their feelings without judgement or pressure.
As a charity, it relies on donations so hosting a Brew Monday event to help raise funds enables it to continue providing support to people in the UK and the Republic of Ireland who are suffering emotional distress.
How Do I Take Part?
Taking part is as easy as inviting a friend round for a coffee, while those wanting to arrange a larger get-together can either organise a tea-party at home or at work, or host a virtual event via a website/app like Zoom, Skype or Facebook Messenger.
Simply select a date and location for your event, invite your guests and bake some treats to sell them. If you're hosting an event at work, remember to book a meeting room that's big enough for all the invitees.
Then, if yours is a fundraising event, all you need to do is collect all your donations and send them to Samaritans. You can pay by cheque, bank transfer or over the phone. For more information, visit this page.
If you need some tips or activities to make your event go smoothly, take a look at this page.
For help arranging an event, email: community&events@samaritans.org
How Cafe2U can help
If you're hosting a fundraising event or would just like a professional barista to make your guests' hot drinks, why not book one of our mobile cafés to come and handle the coffee-making duties for you?
You can find your nearest Cafe2U van here.