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What were you doing before you started working here?

I was self-employed for a long time as a personal concierge. I had three or more clients on my books at any one time and was managing homes and staff, here and abroad. Work was quite sporadic though.

I have five children and needed flexibility when they were younger; it was great having school holidays off. Now my youngest is nine, I don’t really need to be as flexible with my time. I wanted more stability and to get back into an office environment.

How are you settling in?

I know everyone probably says this, but the team here really are amazing. Coming back into an office environment was a bit daunting, but they’ve been so supportive. I like being part of a team again.

Are you enjoying working for a charity?

Charity has always been an important part of my life. For more than 20 years, I have worked alongside and volunteered with many charities and community groups in and around Hammersmith and Fulham. My work has included community events, social prescribing, food banks, day trips, Christmas celebrations, and wider local support projects.

Charity, empathy and giving were instilled in me by my parents, and I’ve passed those values on to my own children. I truly believe that, when given the opportunity, most people will strive to do better.

Through my work at places like the White City Community Centre and my involvement with the Health Inequality Steering Group at Sobus, I’ve seen how powerful community support can be. Hammersmith United Charities contributed to several of the projects I was part of, so I know first-hand the difference this organisation makes.

Coming to work for this charity feels like a perfect fit – it brings together my experience, my values and my long-standing commitment to serving local people.

Have you always lived in Hammersmith?

No, I’m a northerner. I came to London when I was a bright and breezy 17-year-old, branching out and taking on the world! I’m still a northern lass at heart though, even though my kids point out that I’ve lived here longer than I lived up there.

Hammersmith still has the sense of community that I had as a child, and I feel quite at home here. The difference between the boroughs in London is very apparent; Hammersmith seems to be one of the best when it comes to pulling together as a community and looking after each other. Particularly where I live, there’s a real sense of belonging, almost like we’re all on the battlefield of life together and no one gets left behind.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love fashion and textiles. I will randomly get the scissors out at home and start cutting and sewing. Vivienne Westwood is one of my inspirations. My oldest child is 26 this year, and my youngest is going to be 10, and I’ve got them all the ages in between, so I haven’t really had time to do much else. Now that I don’t always have a child in tow, I’ve got a new lease of life. I’m starting to make a bucket list – learn to play golf, go on holiday by myself and sleep in!

I’m at the beginning of a new journey, a new chapter of my life. It’s scary but exciting.

The benefits of open conversations around mental health are now widely understood, but language and cultural barriers can make it more difficult for some people to talk about their feelings and to seek help when they need it.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, “Asylum seekers and refugees are more likely to experience poor mental health than the local population, including higher rates of depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders.” However, people newly arrived in the UK, who may not be fluent in English, often don’t know what mental health support is available or how to access it.

Bringing people together through storytelling

Hikayetna is a not-for-profit organisation that brings people together through storytelling and creativity. As Project Manager Sulaiman Othman shares, “Our main purpose is to bring the community together. We’re open to everyone – migrants and the local community. Our activities are around storytelling – how to tell your story through music, photos, film, poetry or writing.”

Projects include a print newspaper, Grapho, which, as Sulaiman explains, “gives refugee and migrant young people a voice and the encouragement to write. It gives them skills and a sense that they’re part of the community, a part of society.”

Sulaiman recognised that many of the people Hikayetna works with find it difficult to talk or write about mental health. He shares, “There’s a need to reduce the stigma around mental health, particularly within the Arabic-speaking community, because we don’t usually talk about these issues. We keep our feelings, our problems inside.”

He approached Hammersmith United Charities about a grant to help raise awareness of mental health support amongst West London’s Arabic community. Hikayetna used the funding to create three short videos and a leaflet. The videos are in Arabic, with English subtitles, and aim to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers. They cover what mental health challenges can look like, why it’s important to get support and how to access that support. Two feature Arabic-speaking mental health specialists working in the NHS. The third is an animation based on one refugee’s experiences of mental ill health.

Please feel free to share the films with anyone you feel may benefit.

[Content warning: The following video follows the journey of someone who considered ending their life.]

The videos will be screened at a Hammersmith United Charities event later this month, alongside other films showcasing the work of our grant holders.

Support Hikayetna

Hikayetna is always keen to hear from people who want to volunteer to help with workshops, outreach events and other activities. It’s also seeking additional funding to run more storytelling projects for the West London community.

March 8^th marks the 115^th anniversary of International Women’s Day. In many countries across the globe, from Afghanistan to the US, women’s rights are under attack. Even here in the UK, women remain at a significant disadvantage compared to their male peers. While the gender pay gap is narrowing, it is far from closed; London has the second largest pay gap in the country, 10.7%, considerably worse than the UK average of 6.9%.

Gender-based violence also continues to affect millions of women and girls across the UK. One in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime; women are twice as likely to be harassed than men, and a woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex every five days in England and Wales. 907 sexual offences were reported across Transport for London (TfL) services between January and June 2025 alone.

Organisations supporting women in Hammersmith

Although the fight for gender equity is far from over, there is still much to celebrate on International Women’s Day, including the charities, CICs and community groups who make a considerable difference to the lives of women and girls across Hammersmith. Many of these organisations are current or previous Hammersmith United Charities grant holders.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Give to Gain. The global movement is encouraging people to donate to a women-focused charity, such as those listed below, as a way of taking action on women’s rights.

FORWARD

FORWARD is a London-based charity working to tackle multiple forms of violence directed against women and girls in Africa and the UK. Its focus is on faith-based and ritual abuse. The Executive Director of FORWARD, Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE, explains, “We’re looking at women who are affected by female genital mutilation, by child marriage and by domestic abuse. Some of the women have been trafficked; some are refugees or asylum seekers.”

As well as supporting survivors, FORWARD is helping women to break the cycle of faith-based abuse.

Read our case study on FORWARD.

Woman’s Trust

Woman’s Trust provides free mental health care to women who have experienced domestic abuse. One of the charity’s clients wrote, “My experience getting help and support from Woman’s Trust was invaluable. I was not in a good place and didn’t know that I was in an abusive relationship for all those years and what was abusive about it. When it’s psychological abuse, it’s very difficult to decipher. WT helped me to see things and to understand what was happening to me, which made me understand why I have been feeling so depressed for so many years.”

Read our case study on Woman’s Trust

The RENA Initiative

The RENA Initiative brings women together to enjoy creative activities, make friends, experience new activities and reduce stress and isolation. Attendees are mainly older women from marginalised communities. As one participant shares, “The project has done excellent work to educate me, improve my self-esteem, expose my hidden talent, keep me in touch with the community, gain new friendships and have a better quality of life.”

Read our case study on The RENA Initiative

Women Aid and Empowerment

Women Aid and Empowerment offers free Zumba, chair-based yoga and chair-based exercise classes in Hammersmith. Co-founder Hanna Teffera shares, “I have a lot of retired and widowed people attending. Many used to be active but had become ill or disabled. Some had become isolated in their home. Since coming to the class, their health has improved and so has their loneliness, as they feel that they have somewhere to go. They talk after class, meet up with each other and feel more connected with their community.”

Read our case study on Women Aid and Empowerment

The WILDE Foundation

The WILDE Foundation empowers women to write about traumatic experiences such as abuse, and to 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.

Read our case study on The WILDE Foundation

Find out more

Learn about the history behind International Women’s Day and this year’s Give to Gain theme at www.internationalwomensday.com

Most of us need someone to turn to at times – someone who will listen without judgement and offer advice and support. However, not everyone has that safety net. It’s all too easy to feel isolated from your peers if you’re new to the area, English isn’t your first language or you’re shy, for example.

Family Friends supports families in a number of ways, including through a games group for young people, a coffee and community group for parents, a walk and talk group for families, and a monthly SEN group. However, at the heart of the service is its befriending scheme.

Volunteers are matched with adults or young people who are struggling and need someone to talk to. As Shona Goolab from Family Friends says, “There’s nothing better than just having someone to talk to. It’s kind of like a comfort blanket, knowing that someone will consistently show up for you and help you get back on your feet.”

For parents, this might mean having another adult to talk to about money troubles or other difficulties, or someone to offer encouragement when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Kabira lives with her blind husband and three young children in a one-bedroom flat. When she was referred to Family Friends, she was struggling to meet people and wasn’t confident speaking English.

Kabira’s volunteer befriender has helped her to discover more of the opportunities available in her local area. She helped Kabira to join the local library, enrol for English lessons and take part in a singing group. They’ve been to local shops and cafes together, and Kabira has become more confident in practising her English.

Family Friends also matches volunteer ‘big buddies’ with children and young people. One such young person is 13-year-old Sara. Bullying, including physical assault, had left Sara feeling anxious and depressed. With her big buddy’s help, Sara’s confidence has increased and she’s found tools to better manage her anxiety.

Where possible, the charity matches young people with volunteers who share their interests. Shona says, “One of the young people we work with is really into music. Our volunteer has connections within the music industry so took him to a music studio. We’ve also taken him to Kew Gardens, Winter Wonderland and other places, and he’s made friends with other young people in our group. It’s been lovely to see him come out of his shell a bit; his mom says that he’s a lot more confident in school now.”

The relationship with the volunteer usually lasts six to 12 months, during which time the volunteer and Family Friends will help the family to make new connections and build their own support system. As Shona explains, “It’s about helping them to engage with their community and build their confidence so that they don’t need us anymore.”

Hammersmith United Charities’ grant

Family Friends is one of our Flexible 3 Year Grant holders, so is receiving £15,000 a year from us for three years. Having the funding agreed in advance has enabled the charity to make plans, including organising seven two-day workshops a year to train volunteers.

Befriend a local family in Hammersmith

If you have two hours a week to spare, you could make a real difference to a family’s life. You’ll receive full training, ongoing support and expenses. Find out more at www.familyfriendscharity.co.uk.