Our Story

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Thank you for visiting The Healing Hubs Website. This note is intended to tell you our story, so that you know you are not alone.

The story of The Healing Hubs started some years before December 2022, which is when we registered with the Charity Commission. It started with my lived experience, as one of the Co-Founders and Chair of Trustees,

I had been struggling with working as a nurse, looking after a large family alone, navigating a seriously unwell parent, while dealing with the 'fall-out' from a relationship breakdown. Things were tough. Eventually, I reached a point where I realised I felt completely disconnected. Not because I had no people around me, but because I didn't have anywhere I could go to talk about anything other than my life, as it was at the time. What I needed was simply another human being, outside my immediate circle, who could sit with me, face- to face or over the telephone, and listen to my thoughts, chat with me about day-to-day stuff, without judgment. 

I didn't want to have counselling, I didn't have the capacity for that. I didn't want to 'unpick' the details of my life at that time. I knew that I would 'fall apart' like a rag doll. I just needed a friend to talk to, to help me get through.

I tried to find the kind of support I felt able to engage in, but realised that there wasn't much about. I didn't consider myself to be 'in crisis', although I was. I didn't have a healthcare pathway to fit into. I was a middle-aged adult, generally physically fit.

When things improved, it was a journey. I knew I wanted to create a befriending service for all adults aged 18years- 90+ years, a simple human connection, without commitment or judgement. I was lucky enough to be working with colleagues, when the time was right, who also saw the value of this service, due to their own personal experiences of loneliness in a busy world.

These experiences have shaped everything we do. We understand that loneliness doesn't always look like a crisis and that many people are carrying things quietly, while still managing everyday life. While others are isolated and lonely through health and financial inequalities or due to bereavement and other life challenges.

So we created, with the help of some partners, like Core Telecom, a FREE befriending line. We receive referrals through NHS Social Prescribing teams and Talking Therapies across England and Wales for  1:1 telephone calls over 12 weeks. We have partnered with organisations to support their patients and clients in hospitals and nursing homes. All of these services are made possible by the wonderful volunteers who give their time for free because they believe in the importance of human connection. 

Lastly, and by no means least, we have some face-to-face community groups, Meeting Places and Warm Hubs, for members in Alton, Bordon, surrounding villages and Rushmoor in Hampshire. These members are like a family, and our amazing team are led by Sharon and Marianne.

Dear Friend, you are welcome to The Healing Hubs with open arms. We hope you find what you need here.

With love,

Sarah

Sarah Greenway, Co-Founder and Chair of Trustees