Wandsworth Care Alliance

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

Mental Health Awareness Week 2025

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Community impact highlights from our Mental Health Project Manager

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re proud to spotlight some of the work of our Voicing Views – Mental Health Project Manager (PM), who has been at the forefront of tackling inequality and improving access to inclusive care across our community.

Supporting LGBTQIA+ Parents through Perinatal challenges

In partnership with Queer Wandsworth, our PM was involved in an initiative to explore the perinatal mental health experiences of LGBTQIA+ parents. The engagement revealed a number of barriers and emotional challenges:

  • Emotional instability & stigma: many felt ashamed or dismissed during pregnancy and early parenthood.
  • Exclusion from services: barriers to accessing care, especially for trans individuals were reported, driven by binary-centric systems and staff misunderstandings.
  • Non-inclusive language: phrases like “Mother-baby unit” led to feelings of invisibility.
  • Lack of staff training: Gaps in knowledge created miscommunication and clinical risk.
  • Loss of identity & belonging: many struggled to find support networks that recognised their lived experiences.
  • Value of inclusive support: peer-led and identity-affirming spaces were seen as vital.

These preliminary insights will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of LGBTQIA+ perinatal mental health needs and more inclusive service planning. These findings are due to be formally published in the Transgender journal of health in late 2025.

Improving cancer outcomes in underserved communities

Working alongside Macmillan Cancer Support and RM Partners, the PM participated in focus groups and strategic forums to explore mental health and wellbeing across cancer care pathways, especially for ethnically diverse and low-income communities.

Key themes identified:

  • Better information access: patients need clearer, culturally relevant information.
  • Emotional & peer support: gaps in counselling, especially in minority groups, are significant.
  • Improved communication: medical language can feel overwhelming without advocacy or explanation.
  • Digital & financial exclusion: practical support must go beyond medical care.
  • Encouraging early screening: tackling fear, stigma, and low awareness is crucial.
  • Aftercare & recovery: survivors need stronger post-treatment pathways, especially to return to work.
  • Palliative care understanding: Cultural stigma often delays support at the end-of-life stage.

The PM’s continued involvement in the RM Partners People & Communities Strategic Forum ensures that mental health remains a core part of cancer service planning.

Bridging gaps through data & community

As part of ongoing collaboration with RM Partners, the following priorities have emerged:

  • Data-led deprivation mapping to identify hidden inequalities.
  • Accessible digital services for both primary and secondary care.
  • Community outreach to design services with the people who need them most.
  • Culturally sensitive engagement to reduce stigma and improve service trust.

Looking ahead

The Mental Health Project Manager continues to serve as a connector between the community and system-level health initiatives.

By centring marginalised voices, addressing stigma, and championing early intervention, Voicing Views are shaping a future where mental health support is inclusive, accessible, and equitable for all.

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Week, these community insights underscore the importance of inclusive strategies and sustained engagement to reduce mental health inequalities and improve population wellbeing.

WCA joins Mindful Employer to champion Mental Health at work

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We’re proud to announce that Wandsworth Care Alliance has joined the Mindful Employer program, committing to support better mental health at work.

The Mindful Employer Charter, developed by Devon Partnership NHS Trust, is a national initiative supporting organisations to take a positive and practical approach to mental wellbeing in the workplace. By signing the Charter, WCA has made a public commitment to:

  • Provide non-judgemental, proactive support
  • Create an inclusive, stigma-free environment
  • Equip managers to support staff wellbeing
  • Uphold fair recruitment practices in line with the Equality Act (2010)

As a signatory, we gain access to exclusive resources, support, and the option to introduce a cost-effective Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that benefits both employees and volunteers.

This step reinforces our ongoing commitment to creating a healthy, supportive workplace culture for our team, our partners, and the wider community we serve.

Learn more about the programme here: mindfulemployer.dpt.nhs.uk

Share and Care Homeshare: Creating Connections for Independent Living

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Caroline Cooke, director of community interest company, Share and Care Homeshare (www.shareandcare.co.uk) and Dementia Friends Ambassador

Share and Care Homeshare matches younger people (the average age of a Sharer is 39) who need an affordable place to live, with older people (the average age of a Householder is 84) who need some extra support to remain living independently in their own home. Costing just £165 per month, the Sharer offers the Householder 10-15 hours of support each week in a mix of practical help and company, plus the reassurance that comes from a regular presence and someone living in the home.

It can be a lifeline across generations, and people living with dementia are among those most likely to benefit from an arrangement. Other drivers to Homeshare include anxiety, loneliness, reduced mobility, poor eyesight and a host of others.

Matching connections

There are several reasons that Homeshare works so well; people are carefully paired to create strong connections – such as placing an elderly medical professor with dementia with a medical student – and taking into consideration common interests. It isn’t necessarily about a Sharer having specific experience; it’s about matching Sharers with the right manner, empathy, reliability and patience. Safeguarding is of huge importance too; all Sharers are fully-vetted, and Share and Care Homeshare remains in on-going contact for the duration of each arrangement.

Homeshare is incredibly flexible, sitting well alongside other support services; Householders often have visits from Carers alongside their Sharer. Equally, it works well for individuals and couples. For instance, a married couple where the wife has dementia; having a Sharer enables her husband to balance his time caring for his wife alongside a little respite time for himself when he can arrange to meet up with his friends for social events, with the reassurance of knowing there is a Sharer is at home. In some instances, if there in an additional spare bedroom, a Householder may have two Sharers (at no extra cost), so they benefit from additional support.

Thriving independently

In recent years, the number of people living in Homeshare arrangements has significantly risen. One of the reasons is that some people may not need – or be ready for, or be able to afford – residential or full-time live -in care. The kind of support a Sharer offers is reassuring to someone older; whether it be preparing an evening dinner a few times a week, picking up shopping, carrying heavier items, or simply as a companion to chat with and the reassurance of someone else living in the home. These can all help the frustration and anxiety that can come with getting older.  Sharers can also be great at providing a gentle nudge for people’s daily routines, or trigger reminders to take medicine or remember social commitments.

Having a Sharer in the home offers a greater capacity for independent living, reducing the risk of falls, improving wellbeing by reducing social isolation and loneliness, and increasing engagement in life.  Genuine, strong friendships are built and both parties become like family to each other. Importantly too is the impact on families who may live too far away to provide instant support. With Homeshare comes peace-of-mind that parents or loved ones are not alone.

Free Seated Exercise Classes

We have been running our Seated Exercise Classes over Zoom, at 11am on Wednesday mornings, for a few years now. Led by an experienced personal trainer,  the classes are about 30 minutes. People can sign up either through the link on our website, or by sending us an email.  

Dementia Information Sessions

Caroline Cooke is a Dementia Friends Ambassador and has been trained by the Alzheimer’s Society to deliver dementia information sessions, either in person or on-line. The sessions are interactive and informative and last about 1 hour; please contact Caroline if you would be interested in arranging a session.

Founded in 2006, and based in Putney, Share and Care Homeshare is a Community Interest Company (CIC), and is the largest and most experienced homeshare provider in the UK.

Tel: 020 3865 3398

Email: info@shareandcare.co.uk

Website: www.shareandcare.co.uk

Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month

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Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, held each November, aims to highlight the unique mental health struggles men face and encourage open conversations about mental health. While many men experience anxiety, depression, and stress, societal pressures can make it difficult for them to seek help, often resulting in silence and isolation.

Poor mental health can affect people of any gender, but mental health outcomes for men and women aren’t equal. Due to societal expectations of masculinity, men are less likely to talk to others about their feelings, so they suffer in silence.

This awareness month challenges stigmas, encourages men to seek support, and emphasises the importance of mental health services tailored for men. Through increased awareness, we can promote healthier coping strategies and foster supportive environments for men everywhere.

Tips for supporting Men’s Mental Health:

  • Encourage open conversations.
  • Normalise seeking therapy or counselling.
  • Promote self-care routines and healthy outlets for stress.
  • Foster supportive environments for men

Here are few organisations that provide support for men’s mental health:

To share resources for this article please contact communications@wandcareall.org.uk

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