For those at the forefront of the cost of living crisis, Therapy 4 Healing’s services can offer a rare moment of comfort.
The group provides a range of health and wellbeing facilities from pop-up clinics at churches and community centres as well as its headquarters in Forest Hill, Lewisham.
Among its offerings is a massage service in partnership with St Peter’s Church in Brockley, south-east London, where a social supermarket, a type of food bank where disadvantaged people get fresh food at highly subsidised prices, takes place on a Wednesday afternoon.
Mandy, who is in her 40s, and who had just enjoyed a massage at this pop-up when she spoke to us, said: “The cost of living has affected me a lot. I’ve had to make a lot of cutbacks. Gas and electric are sky-high now.
“Bread, milk, butter - they are going to be sky-high. How are elderly people to afford it?” Her massage was a moment of respite. “I loved it, I felt so relaxed,” she said.
Another service user, who has been coming to the food bank for a month and also had a massage, added: “I’ve had to cut back on my heating, what I’m eating, what I’m cooking and how long. I’m going through a divorce which in itself is really hard because it puts even more pressure on me.”
Therapy 4 Healing is one of the groups eligible to benefit from our On the Breadline Christmas Appeal in partnership with our sister title the Evening Standard and Comic Relief.
Its chair, Naomi Louise, said that those who typically use their services tend to be people living precariously close to the breadline, often in poor-quality housing. “Maybe they’re working really long shifts or three shifts,” she said. “If they get sick or break a leg, they’ll go to the doctor, but they won’t look after their secondary health. We see people exhausted by the time they come to our venues.”
While service users come in for one treatment, they may be referred to other practitioners within the group’s network as part of a “holistic” treatment. This could be a referral to a physical therapist or a counselling service.
The soaring cost of everyday essentials has pushed even more people to turn to Therapy 4 Healing’s services, so demand is up. Naomi said: “Sometimes it’s people in the private rental sector who aren’t necessarily in poor quality employment, but who are having to decide, if I pay my rent, will I have money to feed myself?”
For those using Therapy 4 Healing, even something as simple as a massage or reflexology can offer them the mental space to tackle other difficult issues, such as the bureaucracy around claiming support.
Naomi said: “It means they get 15 minutes of ‘me time’ in which somebody is taking care of them. We can’t make demands for them, but we can encourage people to demand what they need. And then if they feel a bit better, and they feel a bit invested in and valued, they’re able to do that and be more assertive.”
She urged readers of The Independent and Evening Standard to donate, saying it would allow Therapy 4 Healing to offer wellbeing treatments to a greater number of people in need throughout London. “We’re here to provide a holistic support service,” she said. “If we treat the whole person, which is what we do, then we’re offering the prospect of hope rushing in.”
Our Christmas appeal in a nutshell
What is happening?
We have partnered with Comic Relief to launch On the Breadline, our cost of living Christmas appeal.
Where will the money go?
To organisations in London and across the UK working to help people on the breadline cope with the cost of living crisis.
How can you help?
To help children and communities most impacted by the cost of living crisis, donate here.
