Wandsworth Care Alliance

Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly – Use Your Voice to Better Your Care

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There are proposals to change how people can raise concerns, including changes to Healthwatch. We think it’s important to talk about the different ways people can be heard when they have concerns, and we want to hear from you about what is important to make sure you know how to raise concerns and that everyone’s voice is heard.

Hear about our work on the subject and also other organisations that help local people champion their voice, including:

Nibbles and Drinks provided

For people living and/or working in Wandsworth.

Any access or dietary requirements please email us at information@healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk

Please note we will be taking photographs at the event to use in our communications, if you do not wish to be photographed let us know at the event, thank you.

Sorry if you can’t make it this time, but sign up to be a member to hear about what happened at the event and to hear about the next one.

Full address for the venue:
Howden Insurance, 149-155 Mitcham Rd, SW17 9PG, London.

About Howden Insurance:

“Howden Tooting is proud to support the local community through ongoing charitable initiatives and promotional opportunities. As part of this, Howden is delighted to support the Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly, an important platform for amplifying local voices and improving health and care services across the borough. Supporting and celebrating community impact is at the heart of everything we do.”

Contact details

Any access or dietary requirements please email us at information@healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk

Give feedback on our Draft Co-Production Charter

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Provide feedback about our Wandsworth Council Adult Social Care Co-Production Charter.

We are working with Wandsworth Council to improve the way in which residents’ voices are heard in the design, delivery and deployment of adult social services. 

As part of this process we have been tasked with designing a charter which Wandsworth Council will adhere to as part of their Adult Social Care Co-Production work.

We have worked with residents and organisations to create a Draft Charter and now we need to hear your feedback.

https://www.healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk/sites/healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk/files/Draft%20Charter%20for%20Adult%20Social%20Care.pdf

Help shape the way Wandsworth Council will work with residents!

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Provide feedback about how Wandsworth Council should work with residents.

We are working with Wandsworth Council to improve the way in which residents’ voices are heard in the design, delivery and deployment of adult social services. 

As part of this process, we need to hear from as many residents as possible about their experiences of being involved in co-production activities. Co-production means anything in which service providers and statutory organisations such as the NHS or Council have looked to involve and hear from residents and patients.

Co-production feedback and development survey

By completing the survey you will also be entered to win 1 of 5 shopping vouchers!

Please also share it with any other residents who may have experience with co-production, whether that be with the Council or someone else. The more voices we hear from the better we can design the future of resident engagement.

WCA – Annual General Meeting 2025

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We are so thankful to those who were able to attend Wandsworth Care Alliance’s (WCA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 29th of September at Tooting Works.  

We had over 40 attendees come to hear about the great work we have been doing over the last year. 

Our CEO Jason Edgington began proceedings by welcoming attendees before handing over to our Chair Donna Covey. Donna provided some highlights from our 2024-2025 Statement of Impact Report including the 84 newsletters and funding e-bulletins we published, the 1,350 voices we captured to help shape health and care services.   

You can read more about all the work we have done here in our full Statement of Impact Report. 

Attendees then also heard directly from some of the organisations we have helped support including The Strength Project, Ruils and S.T.O.R.M. We also heard from representatives from the NHS South West London Integrated Care Board and Wandsworth Council about projects WCA has been involved in. 

Our Deputy Director Sarah Cook also drew attention to the theme of Power in Partnership speaking about how WCA came into existence and our focus on supporting small organisations to grow and support the communities they serve. 

The presentation can be found here

To do this we recognise that we have to work collaboratively and build systems that empower small organisations to drive health, wellbeing and social change. 

As a result, we facilitated discussions with our attendees to understand what we need to put in place to ensure collaboration works in Wandsworth. From these discussions we have identified 8 key actions Wandsworth Care Alliance and the voluntary sector can take to enable effective collaboration. These are: 

  1. Create and maintain a shared service directory  
  1. Develop a communications charter and code of conduct  
  1. Facilitate networking opportunities  
  1. Align collaboration at neighbourhood level  
  1. Support inclusive collaboration practices  
  1. Build mechanisms for equity and accountability  
  1. End competition for funding where possible  
  1. Ensure succession planning and sustainability  

We look forward to working closely alongside other organisations and the community in order to achieve this and will provide updates as we develop our action plan. 

Thank you again to all those who attended and we hope to see you at our other events in the near future! You can stay up to date with our work and be informed of future events by signing up to our newsletter. 

Sanctuary for Sisterhood and The Hope Atrium; Community champions combatting Mental health challenges in the community

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Each year, World Mental Health Day reminds us that good mental health is a universal right, one that depends on awareness, compassion, and collective action. This year, we’re shining a light on two incredible local organisations, Sanctuary for Sisterhood CIC and The Hope Atrium, whose work shows how community-led initiatives can break stigma, nurture resilience, and make mental wellbeing more accessible for everyone.

The Sanctuary for Sisterhood CIC

Aurnela Madede is the Founder and CEO of Sanctuary for Sisterhood CIC, a community organisation empowering women through mental health awareness, holistic wellbeing, and creative expression.

A survivor of domestic violence, Aurnela has transformed her personal pain into purpose becoming a powerful advocate for women’s mental health and empowerment. Through Sanctuary for Sisterhood, she has created a safe, nurturing space where women can rebuild confidence, heal, and rediscover self-worth through therapy, peer support, and creative workshops such as painting, pottery, and perfume making.

A passionate champion for women of colour, Aurnela uses her platform to challenge systemic inequalities in housing, therapy, and healthcare, ensuring that marginalised women are heard and respected. Her work continues to inspire a growing community of women to rise beyond adversity with strength, joy, and self-belief.

The Hope Atrium

Lystra Charles and Dr Carlis Douglas are joint founders of The Hope Atrium, a community-interest company dedicated to improving mental health among African and African-Caribbean communities in Wandsworth. They lead the Community Wellbeing Champions initiative, training volunteers from local churches and individuals in the community to support mental wellbeing. One of the programmes delivered by Dr Carlis and Lystra is From Surviving to Thriving (FS2T), a programme empowering people to challenge mental-health inequalities through education and community action.

Working closely with faith leaders, voluntary organisations, and health professionals, Dr Carlis and Lystra help create trauma-informed, culturally sensitive spaces where people can share experiences and build resilience. Their leadership has been nationally recognised for reducing mental-health inequalities and strengthening trust between services and Black and minority-ethnic communities.

Dr Carlis and Lystra’s work embodies community-led change, transforming lived experience into collective strength and fostering a culture of care, connection, and empowerment.

Community at the heart of Wellbeing

This World Mental Health Day, Sanctuary for Sisterhood and The Hope Atrium remind us that mental health support begins in our communities through empathy, shared experience, and collaboration. Their work demonstrates the power of grassroots action: creating safe spaces, challenging inequality, and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to heal and thrive.

Together, they embody the spirit of this year’s World Mental Health Day championing inclusion, dignity, and wellbeing for all.

Visit Sanctuary of sisterhood CIC to learn more about their services and their work or contact them on info@sanctuaryforsisterhood.co.uk

Visit The Hope Atrium to learn more about their services and work or contact Lystra on lystra@thehopeatrium.org

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