Circus Head Coffee

What is Circus Head?

Circus Head is a non-profit enterprise formed to raise awareness and bespoke projects for the mental health and wellbeing of our ambulance staff.

We comprise almost solely of pre-hospital NHS staff and come from all walks of life, as such it has been created by clinicians, for clinicians.

Our crew draw on an array of skills and experience including mental health first aid, nursing, Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) and bereavement counselling.

What we do

We hope to strengthen the important link between local communities and the pre-hospital staff that support them. Our volunteer ambulance staff turned trained baristas roam East Anglia offering first aid training and lovingly crafted coffee. This foundation allows us to launch and support various bespoke, peer led mental wellbeing activities. From outdoor pursuits such as boating and orienteering.

‘Ithaca Project’

Our flagship activity is our Norfolk Broads wooden boat project, loosely termed ‘The Ithaca Project.’ We offer guided cruises for staff from single day trips to longer overnight excursions, emphasising teamwork and camaraderie. The aim is to deliver some much needed respite and decompression to vulnerable or at-risk clinicians to reduce burnout, mental health crises and promote recovery. The cruises operate a ‘no strings service,’ meaning that there is no expectation to open up or talk, people are free to simply enjoy the Norfolk Broads in all their beauty and navigate their own mental health needs in a safe and familiar environment. We do also offer bespoke ‘counselled’ cruises for those with more specific needs.

Why we are needed

Much like the wider NHS, in recent years pre-hospital care has been under immense pressure and the impact on our clinician’s mental health has been of increasing concern. Currently, stress and adverse mental health is our highest cause of sickness and its ripple effect has left a devastating scar. Often exposed to intense and emotionally sensitive tasks day after day has led to a rising number of clinicians suffering from depression, PTSD, self-destructive behaviours and ultimately suicide. It is in this landscape that Circus Head was born.

How you can support us

Hiring our coffee services for an event or booking on to a first aid training course helps us continue to grow. Beyond that we rely heavily on donations and crowdfunding to make this all possible and allow us to run more therapeutic activities and reach more emergency service staff in need.

We are always looking for volunteers, as we value people’s time and expertise.

Alternatively why not come along for coffee and a chat at one of our events or visit our new coffee shop at the Norwich Puppet Theatre where we will be open every Friday 10am-2pm as well as during most of their shows. Come and say hi and see what we're up to!