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Massage, reflexology and other hands-on therapies can bring so many benefits, including:

• Aiding relaxation
• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Easing physical pain and tension
• Improving sleep
• Improving flexibility and ease of movement
• Combating loneliness and social isolation and creating connections

However, the price of private therapies can be out of reach for many people, including those who are retired, disabled or not in paid work. In other words, the people who would most benefit are often those who can’t afford to.

Community Massage London offers free and low-cost massage, reflexology, shiatsu and acupuncture in community settings across Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea.

The CIC was set up in 2018 by Teresa Meekings and Ray Prosper. Teresa says, “We recognised the need to support marginalised communities with their health and wellbeing. People often think massage and reflexology are a luxury, but complementary therapy isn’t about pampering; it’s about taking care of yourself, focusing on what matters to you, and making meaningful progress in your physical and emotional wellbeing.

“Each session is shaped around what the client wants and we offer practical self-care tips they can use at home. This helps clients to feel listened to and in control of their own health. Complementary therapies are also preventative tools and have been shown to reduce GP and A&E visits.”

Tackling loneliness

Many of Community Massage London’s clients live alone and are struggling with social isolation. The treatment they receive may be the only time they experience the touch of another person that month. Teresa shares, “A lot of the benefits of massage are down to the power of touch. The sessions give people a reason to come out of their home. The time focused on them, combined with the therapist’s caring touch and compassion, can help them to feel more connected and cared for and so reduce their anxiety and stress.”

As one participant said, “These sessions are invaluable, the caring touch is something special to look forward to each month.”

Volunteers work alongside the therapists, offering refreshments and a friendly person to talk to. They can also signpost people to other organisations that can offer support.

Hammersmith United Charities’ grant

Our grant has enabled 24 people to benefit from up to 12 complementary therapy sessions at White City Community Centre. The sessions last for 20 minutes and participants can choose between massage and reflexology. Most participants are over 60 and on a low income.

The CIC suggests a £10 donation from clients who are in paid employment and a £5 donation from those who aren’t, making the treatment considerably more affordable than a private session.

Teresa says, “We couldn’t do this without grant funding. We have to cover the cost of paying the therapists, hiring the hall, administration, insurance, scheduling software and things like that. We really need the grant funding in order to be able to make this affordable for people.”

World Mental Health Day

Community Massage London is taking part in a World Mental Health Day event on 9th October 2025 at St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington Church St, W8 4LA, 12 to 4pm. Organised by SMART London, the event will include various wellbeing activities, a free lunch and a Q&A session. Email admin@smartlondon.org for more details.

Impact

Community Massage London’s clients have reported all of the above benefits and more. A post-treatment survey found that 82% of participants experienced a reduction in stress and 65% a reduction in pain. Many people experience multiple improvements. One client shared, “I’m having better sleep, less pain, less swelling in legs and feet.” Another said, “I have benefitted from the sessions both mentally, (as a Carer for my mum) & physically.”

Find out more

If you’re on a low income and feel that you’d benefit from Community Massage London’s complementary therapies, visit www.communitymassagelondon.co.uk to book a session.

Would you like to enable more people to benefit from complementary therapies? You can support Community Massage London’s work by:

• Donating via Go Fund Me.
• Supporting the CIC at no extra cost by doing your usual online shopping through Easy Fundraising. Every time you shop online from one of the 8,000+ retailers (including Amazon, eBay and several supermarkets), a percentage will be donated to Community Massage London.

There are a number of life experiences that can have a significant impact on a child’s mental health, from parental separation to bereavement. This can lead to the child withdrawing from friends, struggling to manage their emotions, and finding it difficult to engage with school.

While adults in a similar situation often benefit from counselling, children can lack the communication and reasoning skills to explain or even understand how they are feeling and what they need.

Play therapy

A play therapist is able to support children to work through some of their challenges in a safe environment and to express feelings that they may not want or be able to talk about. The British Association of Play Therapists explains, “Play therapy helps children understand muddled feelings and upsetting events that they haven’t had the chance to sort out properly. Rather than having to explain what is troubling them, as adult therapy usually expects, children use play to communicate at their own level and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or threatened.”

Sarah Foster is a certified play & creative arts therapist who works in several schools across Hammersmith & Fulham, including John Betts. She says, “The children who are referred to me are usually struggling socially, emotionally or behaviourally. For example, they might be struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, anger management or separation anxiety. Toys become their language, their words. Through that, you can gain an insight into what’s troubling them and help them to unpack that, process events and better understand their feelings.”

Sarah has a range of toys and art materials for the children to choose from, such as playdoh, figurines, sand trays and musical instruments. Most of the children have 12 play therapy sessions, but some will see her throughout the whole academic year.

Sarah takes a non-directive, child-centred approach. She explains, “The children take the lead. One of the central tenets is unconditional positive regard, where you’re completely accepting of the child as they are. There’s no concept of ‘good’ behaviour and ‘bad’ behaviour. They bring what they bring to a session, including, usually, the issues that school or parents have concerns about.”

As the focus is on play, children are able to relax and enjoy their time with Sarah. One parent fed back, “Thank you so much for all your help and wisdom with X, we know how much he has loved his time with you.”

Benefits of play therapy

Children benefit from play therapy in a number of ways. As one parent shared, “I feel that the therapy has really helped him. And X has recognised that in himself too. We have definitely noticed positive changes. Thank you!”

Benefits can include:

• Increased confidence and self-esteem
• Finding it easier to express thoughts and feelings
• Improvements in behaviour and concentration
• Better sleep

Sarah says, “There’s a really high impact rate for play therapy. You see a positive difference in over 80% of cases. It’s deeply rewarding work.”

Apply for a Community Grant

Some of John Betts’ play therapy sessions are funded by a Hammersmith United Charities Community Grant. If you’d like to apply for a grant to support your community initiative, you can find out more here.

October 1^st is the International Day of Older Persons. This year, the UK theme is ‘Building Belonging: Celebrating the power of our social connections.’ As the Centre for Ageing Better explains, the day is a chance to “celebrate the vital role that social connections can play in our lives; from a quick hello on the street to deep and supportive relationships that are built over time. The communities we live in shape our ability to connect – and in turn, the connections that we make help shape our local environment.”

Friendships are important for most people, whatever their age. However, it can be harder for older people to make new social connections, especially if you live alone, no longer go out to work or have mobility issues.

Bringing people together through almshouses

Hammersmith United Charities has two almshouses – John Betts House and Sycamore House. Both are designed to make it easier for older people to maintain or develop social connections. Residents’ flats are built around a large communal garden, which everyone has access to, and regular events such as coffee mornings, exercise classes and social groups give people extra opportunities to come together in the communal lounge. The almshouses are located in the busy heart of Hammersmith, making it easier for residents to maintain friendships in their local community as they age.

As one resident, Lorraine, says, “There’s lots on socially here at Sycamore House, so I involve myself in that as much as I wish – I usually go to the coffee morning and catch up with everyone on a Thursday. I’ve made some very good friends here.”

Read more about how living in an almshouse community can reduce loneliness and isolation.

Support for older people in Hammersmith

Many other charities can also offer support if you’re struggling with loneliness, the cost of living or other challenges.

• Age UK Hammersmith and Fulham runs a variety of activities every week, from yoga to a film club. You can also get support if you find it difficult to go shopping.
• The Men’s Shed group meet several times a week and maintain Godolphin Gardens as well as working on their own projects.
• Citizens Advice Hammersmith and Fulham can give you advice on a range of topics, such as debt, benefits and energy costs. The charity offers face-to-face meetings, and you can also call for free on 0808 278 7832.
• The WILDE Foundation provides a creative outlet for women who have experienced trauma (such as domestic abuse) and those struggling with loneliness or mental health challenges. Many of its members are over 60.
• The RENA Initiative delivers monthly art workshops and outings for women of every age.
• Women Aid and Empowerment runs accessible exercise classes, including chair-based yoga. Participants are able to socialise after the classes. Founder Hanna shares, “I have a lot of retired and widowed people attending. Some had become isolated in their home. Since coming to the class, their health has improved and so has their loneliness.”
• The Grove Neighbourhood Centre Folk Art Group helps to tackle loneliness though a weekly art group. Most members are retired. Chair Carey Whitley says, “We provide a place where it is easy to nurture new friendships.”
• Women’s Trust provides free counselling for women who have experienced domestic abuse. (1 in 30 people aged 60 to 74 is a survivor of domestic abuse, whether that’s physical violence, financial abuse or coercive control.)
• For Brian offers dementia-inclusive activities, including art sessions.

Volunteering as an older person

Volunteering can be a great way to combat loneliness and give back to your local community. In fact, 35% of people who are aged 65 or older frequently volunteer. Whatever your age or mobility needs, there’s likely a volunteer role to suit. Whether you fancy reading with children, volunteering at your local foodbank or making sure people can access free financial advice, get in touch with local charities to find out more. You can also find volunteering opportunities at Simply Connect.

Protecting the rights of older people

While the Equality Act is designed to legally protect people from discrimination, older people still often experience ageism. According to Age UK, this can include being refused interest-free credit, a new credit card, car insurance or travel insurance; being refused a referral from a doctor to a consultant; or even losing your job.

Often ageism is more subtle. As the Centre for Ageing Better says, “Ageism is all around us, yet it’s so ingrained in our daily lives that we barely notice it. Being told you should ‘act your age’, ‘slow down’ or ‘that’s ‘too young’ for you’. Becoming ‘unemployable’ in your 50s. Being told you’re ‘surprisingly tech-savvy’ or ‘you shouldn’t wear that at your age’. This isn’t a part of ageing. It’s ageism.”

In many countries, there is no legal protection against ageism whatsoever, which is why several charities have been calling for a UN convention to protect the rights of older people. The UN has agreed to start work on such a convention “to ensure older persons’ equality, dignity and societal inclusion – not just for today’s population but for the youth and children who will be the older persons of tomorrow.”

You can find out more about how to challenge ageism at www.agewithoutlimits.org

[Trigger warning: This article includes references to serious sexual assault and other events that may be triggering.]

Traumatic life events can lead to significant mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. The WILDE Foundation gives women the chance to write about their life experiences and share their stories in a safe, supportive environment. By doing so, the women can be helped to process and heal from their trauma, improve their mental health and regain a sense of control over their lives.

As one participant, Jen, shares, “As an Author, Writer, and Poet, it is such a blessing to be with like-minded ladies from all walks of life. Sharing our memories and life experiences by writing stories or in poetry form … We learn so much about each other and the workshop gives us the skills and confidence to write our stories to the world.”

Some of the women have survived horrendous experiences. One woman was imprisoned and repeatedly raped by her neighbour as a teenager. She escaped to the UK, where she experienced years of abuse from her partner – a police officer. Through the WILDE Foundation, she’s been able to rebuild her trust in people and escape from her abuser.

Sharing Human Stories

As well as the online writing workshops, the women meet on the second Sunday of the month to share Human Stories at the Nubian Centre.  WILDE founder Rasheda Malcolm explains, “A woman will volunteer to be the ‘book’. She might say, ‘Okay, I want to talk about my childhood.’ She will talk about her childhood, and then the rest of the group will ask her questions about it. We have a Caribbean lunch afterwards so everyone can sit together and eat.

“Women have bonded through sharing stories and experiences of domestic and childhood sexual abuse, loss, bereavement and ill-health; for some, these stories have been shared for the very first time.”

Tackling isolation

Many of the women are lonely due to social isolation, disability, poor mental health or other challenges. The WILDE Foundation provides a “nurturing and safe social platform, where loneliness and isolation are lessened for a few hours.” While most of the writing sessions are held online, the women meet in person for Human Stories, and sometimes go on outings to the seaside, a local spa or another place of interest.

The women have also formed friendships that continue outside the group. Rasheda shares an example of an older group member who is almost housebound due to severe arthritis. The WILDE in-person meetings are often the only time she’ll leave her home. Rasheda says, “One of the other ladies, who’s got arthritis in her shoulders, invited her to come swimming. So now they meet up to exercise in the water.”

Empowering through education

People often think of domestic abuse and rape as being solely about physical assault. To address this, Rasheda delivered a 12-week CPD-accredited course called Free Me as part of the Sunday workshops. She says, “One woman said that that it had taken her all this time to realise that she’s been financially abused throughout her entire marriage. She didn’t know that was abuse until Free Me.”

Black History Month

For Black History month, the women meet for an epistolary workshop, where they write letters to their younger self, older self or to a woman from their culture who they admire. The focus of the workshop is on healing. Rasheda says, “The letters bring out so much and we also talk about Black history – they didn’t take slaves; they took mothers and fathers and doctors and nurses and enslaved them. That can then lead to us starting to find out about other events in history. One Irish lady shared what the British did to the Irish in the Cromwellian war.

“It’s a good sharing experience and, as always, we end with food. Everybody brings a dish from their country to share. You can dress in whatever you’d wear in your country and come along and party!

“We’ve got quite a little melting pot here where people can bond and make friends. We call it our tribe. One lady is 83 years old and White British. She says that she feels at home with us and that ‘I’m learning to understand more than I ever did before because when we grew up, we weren’t allowed to mix.’”

Encouraging writers though an annual festival

The WILDE H&F Writers’ Festival is an annual event to “uplift and spotlight emerging and minoritised voices from across the UK.” It’s open to everyone and many of the women from the writing workshops take part.

This year, the festival was held on 19th July at the Bush Theatre. Rasheda says, “It poured with rain, but 230 people turned up with their umbrellas and raincoats. We had an open mic, so people had the opportunity to share their writing. One spoke about her experiences of domestic abuse; another about the menopause and how at times she felt suicidal.

“It was brilliant to have the grant from Hammersmith United Charities to put towards the festival, because it gave people that opportunity to stand on a platform and be applauded, which gave them such confidence.”

Find out more

You can read examples of the women’s writing by clicking on the links on the right-hand side of this page.

Join the WILDE Foundation

• Writing workshops are held online on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30am-12:30pm.
• Human Stories is held on the second Sunday of the month, 12-3pm, at the Nubian Life Resource Centre, 50 Elleslie road, W12 7BW
• The letter writing workshop for Black History month is on 12th October 2025, 12-3pm, at the Nubian Life Resource Centre.

All sessions are free to attend. If you’d like to find out more or join in, email Rasheda at wilde2000@btopenworld.com.

Enter the WILDE H&F Writers’ Festival

The next WILDE H&F Writers’ Festival is on June 27th. Submissions open at the end of October. There are classes for adults and under-18s and prizes include a place on a Curtis Brown Creative Masterclass. For more details, including this year’s themes, visit www.handfwritersfestival.co.uk.

Volunteer for the WILDE Foundation

Rasheda says, “If anyone’s interested in talking to women who have had it hard and are re-emerging and gaining their confidence, they’ll be very welcome.” People have volunteered to talk about books, dementia prevention and other topics, as well as to help support the Foundation’s members on outings. Contact Rasheda at wilde2000@btopenworld.com.