The “PoteCafé” is a “paws café” for mentally vulnerable young people

The Vissing Foundation is supporting the PoteCafé, which is a new initiative run by volunteers in Aarhus, started in December 2024 by SIND Aarhus. The aim is to create a secure, informal free space for mentally vulnerable young people, where they can meet, have a cup of coffee and a positive experience in the company of the volunteers and their gentle dogs.

It is a simple concept: the volunteers bring their dogs to café evenings, where the young participants can stroke or pat the dogs, make warm contacts, and talk to the dog owners and other participants in a new social group.

“Through close contact with people and animals, we create a warm, open ambience, where it is easier to talk about difficult subjects – or just enjoy some peace and quiet in good company. The aim is to promote mental well-being, so people are less lonely, and to create meaningful social groups,” explains Nathalie Lind Østrup, volunteer coordinator.