16/10/2025
Well… that was a very special day!!
With a few days having passed now since World Mental Health Day and our busy weekend, we’ve finally had a chance to “And Breathe” and “Exhale” ourselves!
Looking after our mental health comes with many challenges. This event was a celebration of all the work and honesty that is brought to the table to help overcome those - so it felt particularly fitting to finish things off on a high note with the Exhale gig at The Lyric. There was a very special atmosphere in there on Saturday night.
We’d love to take this opportunity to say how grateful we are to the many individuals and organisations who helped and supported us, and to everyone who attended the various events - we saw many faces, both familiar and new.
Let’s start with a HUGE thanks to all the amazing staff, volunteers, and visitors here at Harmony - not just for this event but for everything that you all do! It feels wrong to single anyone out but… Rachael Dutton and Brandon Eaton both deserve an extra big clap for going above and beyond! And not forgetting the staff who weren’t able to make the events because they were working hard to keep the Bridport Community Front Room open for anyone in crisis.
Then….
At The Harmony Centre:
- LiveWell Dorset
- Steps2Wellbeing
- Access Wellbeing Hubs
- START team @ Help And Kindness
- Contented Dementia Trust
- Jurassic Coast Social Prescribers
- And special visit from Edward Morello MP, West Dorset who had a warm and lively discussion with some of the team and one of our regular visitors.
At The Lyric - daytime sessions:
- Rachel Goode @ Menopause of Sound for the fab Women’s Disco.
- Help & Care for the thoughtful and helpful workshop on managing stress.
- Jon Knorpel for leading the men’s walk.
- Gwyn Harwood for the sonic delights and vibrations of the sound bath.
At The Harmony Garden:
- Clare Smith Thriving Wild for her lovely Forest School session.
- Louise Gunnill for being the Harmony Garden and Allotment stalwart!
At The Lyric in the evening for “Exhale”:
- Clive Whaley for giving us a window into “The Small World of Clive Crudwick”.
- Tanya Remnant for singing like an angel.
- Isaiah Dreads for sharing an honest and beautifully observed lyrical and musical journey.
- The Skalatans for putting heart and soul into their uplifting music.
- Eli Burton for doing an amazing job of getting them all sounding wonderful.
And the bigger picture...
- The Lyric Theatre team for being such wonderful hosts.
- Bridport Arts Centre for lending their lovely lectern.
- Bridport Town Council, Bridport Charities, and Bridport Round Table for funding support.
- The Glow Collective for the loan of yoga mats and...Dawn at Bridport Complementary Healthfor the last minute loan of even more yoga mats!
- Carl at Forest and Tree Care for donating wood chip for The Harmony Garden.
- Matt Boyd for the loan of sound system kit.
- Andrew & Mark Bridport Music Centre for being so supportive all round, and for selling our tickets.
- And to all the local individuals and groups who have shared our Facebook posts!
It's a long list - hope we haven't forgotten anyone!
