Mental health support for both LGBTQ+ and BAME people who live, work, or study in Hounslow
A mental health community project partnership provided by METRO and NAZ. The project provides one-to-one advice and advocacy, group work, social groups and counselling for both LGBTQ+ and BAME people in Hounslow who are experiencing mental health issues.
Our group work is through structured sessions and weekly drop-in support. We also provide a weekly drop-in support session where you can meet with others in a similar situation.
To access the service you need to be from the LGBTQ+ community or the Black and minority ethnic communities, or both. You also need to live, work, or study in Hounslow
Call the METRO mental health team on 020 8305 5009 or email METRO at wellbeing@metrocharity.org.uk, or Parminder at NAZ at sekhon@naz.org.uk
We will usually get back to you within 72 hours and arrange to have a follow-up chat or email with you to see how we can best support you.
We want to make it easy for you to get support. We'll help support you in the right direction, and get you connected up with peers that are often struggling with the same things. Through that support we find most people start to feel a bit more "themselves" and feel less isolated and more connected up.
People from BAME and LGBTQ+ backgrounds often feel isolated and can't always talk with others about how they feel, for a range of reasons. The service is designed to provide a friendly BAME and LGBTQ+ led service so that people feel less alone. Many people from these communities don't trust or find it hard to access more generic services. We will work with both providers and users of services to break down barriers and ensure better, more equitable access to community mental health services.
We are interested in providing community mental health support services that are innovative, equitable, accessible and person-centred. We work with users of services to ensure there is a way in which their ideas can be realised in the services we offer. We also work with other service providers to ensure they can deliver more culturally appropriate and tailored services for the communities we work with.
BAME and LGBTQ+ people have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Many of us have struggled with ill health, social isolation, job loss, problems accessing benefits and low confidence to access more generic mental health support services.
We work with people so that they feel more confident and less socially isolated. Our groups and one-to-one support should leave you feeling more plugged in, socially connected and more confident in yourself. We will help you navigate health, welfare and social care services so that you can do the things you need to do to support yourself and get back on your feet again.
The project will enable many people from BAME and LGBTQ+ communities to meet others from their communities. Through innovative groups like dance social groups, mental health support drop-in, and mindfulness courses, we aim for people to access the tools for better self-care and empowerment around their own mental health. This should lead to people feeling better about themselves and choosing more healthy outcomes.
We aim to provide tailored, person-centred support with workers from LGBTQ+ and BAME backgrounds that know how to best help and support you to make the choices you want to make, and work towards your own goals and outcomes.