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"I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the WCC Refugee Social Group. Thank you to every participant who dedicated their time and effort. Your involvement today truly eased my stress and lifted my spirits. I’m sincerely grateful to the organisers as well. I genuinely hope that gatherings like this will happen more often, as they are profoundly beneficial for mental well-being."

Group Member

"I would like to sincerely thank you for the wonderful day we spent in London last Thursday. Everything was so well organized, and we truly enjoyed every moment of the experience. The sightseeing tour was excellent, and the entire day was both entertaining and educational. Our team had a fantastic time, learning new things, meeting wonderful people, and creating unforgettable memories together. Your kindness, dedication, and careful planning made the day especially meaningful for all of us. Thank you once again for your generosity and for providing us with such a memorable and enjoyable experience. We truly appreciate all your efforts and hope to see you again in the future."

Group Member

"I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible day you gave us yesterday in London. The sightseeing, the fun, and the way you organized everything was truly outstanding. Our team had such a wonderful time, and we not only had a great, entertaining day, but also a really educational one. We met new friends, and it was such a positive, memorable experience. Thank you again for everything!"

Group Member

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At WCC, volunteers play an important role in supporting the day-to-day running of our work. From providing life-changing counselling and psychotherapy, to administration and translation to creative storytelling and digital communications, every volunteer brings something different — helping make WCC a warm and welcoming place for the communities we support. 

Some work quietly behind the scenes, while others use creativity, writing or communication skills to connect with people and share stories. Although every volunteer experience is different, one thing connects them all: a shared wish to support others and be part of something meaningful. 

To celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2026, I spoke to two of WCC’s office volunteers — Lu Brookes, Munira Mohamed about what volunteering has meant to them, what they have learned, and the moments that have stayed with them most. At the end, I also share my experience of being a social media volunteer.

Different ways of making a difference 

Lu volunteers as an administrative support capacity, mainly supporting the Low-Cost Service by updating client databases. She has also written case studies based on client feedback and experiences, helping to share stories of how counselling can make a difference in people’s lives. 

More recently, Lu has been involved in a creative project with the Men’s Group. Together, the group designed shadow puppets, created characters and developed their own story — with Lu helping turn their ideas into a script for future sessions. 

For Lu, one of the most meaningful parts of volunteering has been knowing that her writing can support others. 

“Whether it’s helping someone share their story or communicating the work happening at WCC, it feels meaningful to know my skills are helping people,” she says. 

Volunteering has also been an important first step for Lu. After being away from work for some time due to personal circumstances, joining WCC gave her an opportunity to rebuild confidence, learn new skills and ease back into a working environment. WCC’s mission to provide accessible therapy strongly resonated with her, and she values the welcoming and inclusive environment she found here. 

One of the biggest things Lu has learned is that support is always there when things feel challenging. 

“I’ve learned that I can do things, even if they seem daunting,” she says. “And there are people willing to help if I need support.” 

Like Lu, Munira also supports WCC in practical and meaningful ways. Her volunteering includes administration and project-based work, such as creating guidance documents, helping to develop surveys, and translating information sheets into different languages. 

Much of this work happens quietly behind the scenes, but Munira knows it helps make support easier to access and everyday processes run more smoothly. 

For Munira, one of the most memorable moments has been reading feedback from clients and seeing the difference counselling has made in people’s lives. 

“It reminds me how important this work is,” she says. “Even small contributions can help make a real difference.” 

Volunteering at WCC has also deepened Munira’s understanding of how counselling can empower people. 

She says she has learned how important counselling can be in helping people regain confidence, process difficult experiences and feel more in control of their lives. She has also been inspired by how dedicated the WCC team is in supporting clients, counsellors and staff. 

For Munira, volunteering has been a meaningful way to contribute to work she strongly believes in.

Growing confidence through volunteering 

I support WCC as a social media volunteer, helping to write Instagram content, blog articles and occasionally support the creation of short videos.

For me, volunteering has been a chance to combine creativity with communication – learning more about how WCC connects with different communities while helping share its work in welcoming and accessible ways.

Creating short videos has become one of the most enjoyable and memorable parts of my volunteering experience.

Being at WCC gives me space to share ideas creatively, and at the same time, I’ve learned more about why people come to WCC and how this organisation creates a welcoming and supportive space.

When I first joined WCC, I hoped volunteering would help me improve my English and gain experience in a UK working environment. But over time, it became something much more personal.

For me, WCC feels almost like a place with a little bit of magic. Every time I come here, I feel happier, calmer and more comfortable.”

I have found that the kindness, patience and encouragement from the team have helped me grow in confidence.

People here make you feel supported. When someone is patient with you and recognises your work, it helps you believe in yourself more.

Small moments have made a big difference. The warmth and encouragement I receive from staff members have helped me feel more comfortable speaking English, more confident sharing my ideas, and more excited about contributing to WCC.

That’s one of the reasons I always look forward to coming to WCC.

Meaningful ways to contribute

Although Lu, Munira and I came to WCC for different reasons, our experiences share something in common: we’ve all found meaningful ways to contribute while also learning, growing and gaining something for themselves.

Our stories remind us that volunteering can take many forms. Whether you enjoy administration, creative projects, writing, communications or supporting people behind the scenes, there may be a place for your skills at WCC.

If you have ever thought about volunteering, perhaps this is your sign to take the first step.

Whether you have practical skills, creative ideas, or simply some time to give, there may be a place for you at WCC.

You may come hoping to contribute something — but, like many volunteers, you might find yourself gaining something too.

The post “A Little Bit of Magic” – Meet Our Office Volunteer Team at WCC  appeared first on Waterloo Community Counselling.

OUR APPEAL IS NOW LIVE!

From 22–29 June, Waterloo Community Counselling is taking part in the Big Give Small Charities Week campaign – a powerful opportunity to double your impact. 

During this week, thanks to support from the People’s Postcode Lottery, every donation you make will be matched £1 for £1, meaning your support goes twice as far. 

Our goal: Raise £5,000 to unlock an additional £5,000 in match funding 

Why Your Support Matters 

At WCC, we provide accessible, low and no cost multilingual counselling to people living on low incomes as well as refugees and asylum seekers. These are individuals who would otherwise struggle to access mental health support. 

Demand for our services continues to grow. Many of the people we support are navigating trauma, grief, anxiety, displacement, social isolation and financial hardship. 

WCC provides affordable, accessible, long-term counselling for people who cannot access or afford other options and includes: 

• Subsidised sessions ensure cost is never a barrier. 

• Longer-term support (up to 2 years) helps people address deep-rooted challenges. 

• Multilingual, diverse, experienced counsellors bring lived understanding of discrimination, disability and identity. 

• Community-based approach reduces stigma and builds lasting resilience. 

Your donation helps ensure that those who need support most can access our services, regardless of their financial circumstance. No one is turned away because they cannot afford to pay. 

What Your Donation Could Do

• £5 → £10 could help cover travel costs, ensure attendance without financial barriers. 

• £35 → £70 could fund a single life-changing counselling session for someone in need. 

• £630 → £1,260 could fund WCC’s minimum client offer of 18 sessions. 

Last year, 93% of clients reported an improvement in their mental health; 6536 counselling sessions were delivered; and 594 clients were supported.

During this campaign, every pound you give goes twice as far to help us grow the number of people we can support. 

How You Can Help

1) Make a personal donation (22–29 June)

Give during the campaign week to have your donation doubled. 

2) Rally your workplace

Your organisation can play a powerful role: 

• Donate directly to WCC during Small Charities Week 
• Share the campaign internally to encourage staff giving 
• Match employee donations 

3) Share with your network

Help us reach more people by: 

• Sharing our campaign on LinkedIn or email 
• Spreading the word to friends, colleagues and partners to encourage donations 

4) Get creative

Organise your own simple fundraiser in a way that works for you: 

• Sell pre-loved items and donate the proceeds 
• Host a bake sale or small gathering with friends and invite donations 
• Organise a workplace raffle 
• Offer a skill (yoga, workshop, tutoring) and invite donations 
• Set a fitness challenge or run a race 

Keen to get involved? Email our Community & Fundraising Manager today: lucian.dee@waterloocc.co.uk

Together, we can go further 

Small charities like WCC play a vital role in supporting communities, and with your help, we can reach even more people. 

This Small Charities Week, your support will go twice as far. 

The post Double Your Impact This Small Charity Week appeared first on Waterloo Community Counselling.

“I faced many difficulties and I was struggling with many aspects of my life. I was stressed, hopeless and unhappy to get help.” 

Gadise was referred to Waterloo Community Counselling by her local NHS Talking Therapies Service. At WCC, Gadise was matched with a “patient and understanding” counsellor at who spoke Amharic – Gadise’s first language – as part of the Multilingual Counselling Service. Gadise had twelve sessions of therapy over the telephone between June and September 2025.  

“Therapy brought many self-understandings in my life, and I learned to control my emotions. I learned to live with difficult feelings I can’t change by applying all the strategies I learned in sessions.” 

Gadise joined the Walking Group and the Gardening Club facilitated by WCC for Multilingual clients while receiving therapy. She finds that walking has helped her to “manage feelings and emotions better”, and “avoid sleeping with my problems”.   

Gadise continues to attend group meetups, even after her time as a client at WCC has concluded. Highlights include creative endeavours such as poetry and drumming workshops, beekeeping, and the annual refugee social group Christmas Party. 

Thanks to generous funding and partnership work, Gadise was eligible for a grant for a SIM card, keeping her connected with the new communities she has found since starting therapy. In January 2026, WCC referred Gadise to a charity clothing event where she could choose a winter coat for herself. 

Gadise is extremely grateful for the life-changing support she was able to access through Waterloo Community Counselling: 

Thanks to our fantastic volunteer, Lu Brookes, for writing this case study.

Your Support Makes Stories Like Gadise’s Possible

Gadise’s journey reminds us that with the right support, healing and hope are within reach — even when the first steps feel impossible. By giving, fundraising or spreading the word, you help create safe therapeutic spaces where people can rebuild their confidence, reconnect with life and rediscover their strength.

If Gadise’s story inspires you, we invite you to stand with us. Your support today could help someone take their very first step toward healing.

The post Healing in Her Own Language: Gadise’s* Journey with WCC appeared first on Waterloo Community Counselling.

Kira (not her real name) would only leave the house for medical appointments. She felt her anxiety around leaving the house was the biggest contributor to her depression, that she was stuck in an endless, unbreakable cycle.

“I had very low self-esteem. I would go as far as to say that I hated myself.”

Kira was referred to Waterloo Community Counselling’s Low Cost Service after engaging in talking therapies within her local borough. She struggled with grief and feelings of guilt after a family bereavement. Kira’s described her family relationships as ‘very strenuous’ and she struggled to cope with past, deep-rooted trauma given these difficulties.

Waterloo Community Counselling offered Kira long-term psychodynamic therapy online, given the challenges she faced leaving the house and her complex emotional difficulties.

“I liked how the sessions were available virtually. I don’t think at the time I would have been able to come in person to attend.”

Kira worked with her counsellor to understand her fears around leaving the house and built coping strategies to manage her anxiety when outside. They set small goals together that focused on increasing Kira’s tolerance. Kira started with short walks around the block and gradually built herself up to being able to go to the shops and use public transport to visit family members.

“Shortly before I finished therapy, I signed up to walk a marathon across London. This was something I never thought I would be able to do.”

Through her sessions, Kira felt she could open up and step out of her comfort zone when it came to reconciling with her emotional trauma. She expressed that she felt heard for the first time and was able to work through and process what had happened in her life.  

Since finishing therapy with WCC, Kira has gone on to complete a long distance walking event around London. Her relationship with close family members has improved, and she feels equipped with the tools to manage stressful situations.

“I am learning to accept what has happened and know that there’s a future for me. I definitely have more of a ‘can do’ attitude towards life now.”

Thanks to our fantastic volunteer, Lu Brookes, for writing this case study.

Your Support Makes Stories Like Kira’s Possible

Kira’s journey reminds us that with the right support, healing and hope are within reach — even when the first steps feel impossible. By giving, fundraising or spreading the word, you help create safe therapeutic spaces where people can rebuild their confidence, reconnect with life and rediscover their strength.

If Kira’s story inspires you, we invite you to stand with us. Your support today could help someone take their very first step toward healing.

The post Kira’s* Walk Toward Freedom appeared first on Waterloo Community Counselling.

At the end of March, we held the second gathering of Waterloo Community Counselling’s Expert by Experience (EbE) Group —- a space where refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who have experience of counselling at WCC come together to help shape the future of the organisation.

Building on the momentum of our first meeting, Session 2 brought a mix of returning and new members, each offering fresh insights, thoughtful reflections, and powerful suggestions for making WCC more welcoming, accessible and responsive.

Across three hours of discussion, creativity and honest sharing, the group helped us deepen our understanding of what the WCC experience feels like from the very first referral to longer‑term support needs. Below are some of the key themes and the actions we are taking forward.

Read more about this project here.

1. First Impressions: What It Feels Like to Arrive at WCC for the First Time

New members shared candid reflections about arriving at WCC and what it feels like to step into therapy for the very first time. Many described not knowing what to expect, feeling anxious, or worrying about small but stressful details such as pressing the wrong doorbell. Several people also said they initially struggled to find the building, especially before our new signs were installed.

These insights highlighted the importance of clear, simple and welcoming pre‑arrival information. The group suggested:

• Updating the directions we send to clients, including a picture of the correct door (which is now in place)
• Ensuring the entry bell instructions are easy to understand
• Reviewing our map and directions with EbE members
• Creating a short guide for referrers so that people receive the same clear information no matter where they’re coming from

Next steps:
We will work with group members to refine the written and visual information we provide before someone attends their first appointment or group, helping to reduce stress and build confidence from the outset.

2. Understanding Therapy: From Confusion to Relief

Many participants shared how unfamiliar psychotherapy felt when they first arrived. Several described a period of confusion before discovering the relief, connection and emotional release that came through being heard.

Comments such as “It was the first time someone listened to me” and “All that is heavy felt light afterwards” captured the power of the therapeutic relationship.

Some members also noted that the differences between therapy types: psychotherapy, CBT, group therapy were not clear before starting. This reinforces the need for accessible, culturally attuned information about therapy.

One important suggestion from the group was whether WCC could one day offer group therapy, especially for people who feel safer or more familiar with healing in community.

Next steps:

• The group is continuing to develop the new Therapy Guide co-created by members of the EbE group, to help new clients understand what to expect.
• We will explore the feasibility of a group therapy option, guided by member feedback.
• Members interested in training to become counsellors themselves will be connected with our Clinical Services Manager.

3. Essential Needs Beyond Therapy

Alongside therapeutic support, members reaffirmed that many clients face pressing challenges with immigration, housing, finances and accessing advice. Some felt they did not always know where else to turn, and others pointed out that many opportunities (such as groups and activities) only reach those already connected to particular counsellors or sessions.

To help make information more accessible across the whole refugee and asylum‑seeking community at WCC, the group proposed:

• Creating an WCC WhatsApp announcement channel for all refugee and asylum seeker clients – sharing updates, events, referrals, and opportunities
• Looking at whether WCC could build a caseworker or adviser role, separate from counsellors
• Being clearer about what WCC can and cannot provide so expectations are realistic and nobody feels abandoned or overlooked
• Strengthening partnerships with organisations already supporting our community.

Next steps:
We will begin developing a pilot WhatsApp channel, explore advice partnerships, and look into potential models for expanded practical support within our capacity.

4. Leadership, Advocacy and Representation

One inspiring theme from this session was members’ interest in taking a more active role beyond the group. Several expressed confidence in representing WCC at community events, funder meetings, or trustee and staff meetings. One member who had previously met funders for another charity offered to do the same for WCC – a powerful example of leadership rooted in lived experience.

The group also began preparing for a future visit from trustees and senior staff, helping ensure that lived experience conversations remain central to WCC decision‑making.

Next steps:

• Plan a preparation session on how staff, board and funder meetings work
• Create opportunities for EbE members to take part in videos, storytelling and ambassador roles
• Share updates about future trustee visits

5. Community Building and Creative Ideas

As with our first session, members brought forward an exciting mix of ideas about belonging, creativity and growth. Suggestions ranged from LGBTQ+ discussion spaces to community partnerships, video projects, and even improving the waiting room environment (including the much‑loved idea of a fish tank).

Throughout the session, members spoke openly about how being part of the group made them feel:

• “Thanks for asking for my opinion.”
• “I feel more important.”
• “We are here to make the organisation sparkle.”

These moments reaffirm that the EbE group is not just shaping WCC services – it is also a space of empowerment, confidence and collective care.

Next steps:

• Organise a dedicated video workshop
• Run a planning session for future roles and projects
• Continue exploring new group names
• Review environmental improvements for the waiting area

Looking Ahead

Our second Expert by Experience session strengthened our commitment to building a WCC shaped by the people who use it. Through practical suggestions, personal stories, and thoughtful reflection, group members continue to illuminate where we can grow and how we can better support people navigating trauma, displacement and rebuilding their lives.

The work ahead is both ambitious and energising — improving access, strengthening information, building community networks, expanding pathways for leadership, and making WCC a place where every voice feels valued.

Most importantly, these conversations remind us that recovery, empowerment and change are most powerful when designed with the people they are meant to serve.

The post Listening, Learning and Shaping the Future Together appeared first on Waterloo Community Counselling.

Exploring London’s Cultural Spaces

Our core Meetups group has enjoyed several wonderful outings including two trips to the British Museum and two to the Hayward Gallery.

• At the British Museum, the Hawaii and Samurai exhibitions offered powerful historical reflections and rich discussions among the group.
• At the Hayward Gallery, the bold and imaginative work of Gilbert & George, Chiharu Shiota and Yin Xiuzhen sparked curiosity and creative conversation.

We’re deeply grateful to both institutions for generously providing free tickets for our community members — and for welcoming us so warmly.

Cooking, Music and Shared Experiences

We also enjoyed a fantastic cooking session at the Garden Museum, where participants prepared delicious pakoras, vegetable biryani and apple cake. Huge thanks to Ceri Jones for leading such a joyful workshop.

And once again, we were delighted to attend an uplifting Music and Lunch event with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at St John’s Church — a real highlight for the group.

Pottery, Gardening and Crafting

Our weekly groups have continued to thrive:

• The Pottery Group is creating remarkable new pieces as they prepare for a community exhibition this autumn, marking the end of the project in September.
• The Gardening Group has been hard at work transforming the WCC outdoor space — filling planters, laying pathways and planting new bulbs. With the warmer weather ahead, this space is already becoming a joyful place to gather.

Our Women’s Craft Club has also been busy making beautifully knitted hats, scarves and embroidered items.

A huge thank‑you to our wonderful partners — Mud Gang Pottery and Bankside Open Spaces Trust — for making these groups possible.

A New Group Begins

One of the most exciting developments of 2026 has been the launch of our brand‑new Men’s Creativity and Wellbeing Group, which began in January. We have a full blog post dedicated to this inspiring new space — please do take a look!

The post Updates from WCC Groups & Activities, January-March 2026 appeared first on Waterloo Community Counselling.