🌿 Mind, Body & Soul (MBS) Community Group

A community‑led space for wellbeing, connection and belonging

Mind, Body & Soul (MBS) is a warm and welcoming community group created by local residents through the Love the Lane initiative. It provides a safe, supportive space where people can build confidence, improve wellbeing, meet others and take part in gentle, enjoyable activities.

Run by local volunteers and shaped by the people who attend, MBS supports residents experiencing isolation, stress, low confidence or challenging life circumstances — offering a space to talk, grow, learn new skills and feel part of a community.

⭐ What They Do

MBS offers a wide range of free activities designed to support wellbeing, confidence and connection. The list below is only part of what they offer, as the group continually adapts based on the needs and ideas of local residents and visitors.

Activities include:

• Gentle movement, mindfulness and yoga sessions
• Gardening and greening local spaces together
• Creative and social activities, including crafts and community conversations
• Group sessions that build routine, confidence and peer support
• 1‑to‑1 sessions, offering safe, relational and person‑centred support
• On‑site social prescribing, delivered by the group’s dedicated social prescriber, offering tailored, culturally sensitive support in a trusted space
• Local trips and outings, reducing isolation, strengthening community bonds and creating shared experiences.

At the heart of MBS is the principle of healing through helping others — recognising that supporting someone else, even in small ways, can be a powerful part of one’s own healing journey.

The group is also highly responsive and place‑based, shaping its activities around what residents say they need. This creates a warm and flexible environment with something for everyone — welcoming people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities in a way that feels natural and truly community‑led.

📅 When They Meet and Where

MBS meets twice a week, offering a consistent, friendly space for residents:

• Wednesdays: 11:00 – 14:00
• Fridays: 11:00 – 14:00

Additionally, the group offers appointment‑only 1‑to‑1 support sessions on Wednesdays from 14:00 – 17:00, including mental health support, social prescribing, and other tailored help delivered in a safe and confidential space.

📍Place: Ilford Engagement Hub, Jubilee Gardens, Ilford Lane, IG1 2HX

👥 Who Can Join?

Membership is open to anyone in the community who supports the aims of the group.
There is no pressure, no requirements and no expectations — just come as you are.

🌱 Why It Matters

MBS has become a trusted, community‑owned space that helps residents:

• Build confidence and independence
• Reduce loneliness and isolation
• Improve emotional and physical wellbeing
• Find purpose through contributing to others
• Feel a sense of belonging, safety and community

It is a shining example of what happens when local residents are supported to lead, connect and look after one another — and how community‑owned spaces can grow from trust, relationships and genuine collaboration.