New Northern Quarter coffee cafe to focus on mental health and wellbeing

A NEW cafe is opening in the Northern Quarter this summer, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

The Feel Good Club coffee house will take over a 2,800ft space inside the newly-restored Hilton House, with a vegetarian menu and a programme of events and pop-up galleries.

The project comes from the couple behind mental health community Feel Good Club, which aims to normalise the conversation around mental health.

It’s hoped the dog-friendly cafe will be the first wellbeing-led hospitality venue in Manchester.

Events inside will include yoga, film nights, wellbeing talks, and a series of workshops, as well as the regular Freelance Fridays events which will welcome self-employed people to use the space and network for free.

Aimie and Kiera Lawlor-Skillen will be aiming to welcome their first customers this summer, with investment from CERT Property founder Howard Lord. They’ll be adding a dedicated area in the cafe for those who wish to meet new people.

Kiera said: “Our dream has always been to bring our online community, offline and create a space where people can be themselves and talk about their feelings and mental health openly.

“The first ever Feel Good Club encompasses music, events, and community, and is a club where you can be yourself, alone or with company.

“When we met with Howard and the team at CERT Property and we realised they shared our vision, our dream started to look like a reality. It is incredible that even at this turbulent time, we have managed to secure investment and are able to make this happen.”

Aimie added: “It was clear to us when we started Feel Good Club online, that there was a huge demand for people to connect, and that our community was shouting out for a place they could call their own.

“We can’t wait to bring it to life for them and the people of Manchester. We want to create a space where our guests feel like they are at home. It will be our house, your house and a coffee house.”

Howard Lord, managing director of CERT Property, which redeveloped Hilton House, said: “Our vision for this property has always been to build a community, and to bring like minded people together. It was obvious from the outset that our values aligned with those of Feel Good Club.”