From Where We Started: Carers, Community and Coming Full Circle

Some moments remind you exactly why you started.

T4H began because Lewisham Carers, as it was then known, believed that the people doing the invisible, exhausting, often thankless work of caring for a loved one deserved something just for themselves. They funded us to provide complementary therapies so that carers could come through our doors at the centre on Stanstead Road, SE23, sit down, breathe, and be looked after for once.

That was the seed. Everything T4H has grown into over the past 17 years traces back to that original belief: that carers matter, that their bodies and minds matter, and that access to therapeutic support should not depend on what is in your bank account.

So when we attended Imago Carers event on 1st July 2026 with 58 people in the room, including parents, carers, professionals and people with lived experience, and our therapists provided chair massage to 31 of them on the day, it felt like something had come full circle.

It brought different organisations together in one space, created room for honest discussion, and made sure that alongside the talking there was also something practical on offer. Because we know from experience that people open up differently when their body is being cared for. A chair massage is not a luxury, for many carers it is the first time in months that someone has asked how they are doing and meant it physically.

The feedback we received afterwards stayed with us. One attendee, a parent and unpaid carer of a young adult with autism, ADHD and mental health needs, wrote:

"It was empowering to be in a space where lived experience was recognised as valuable. The staff and organisers were outstanding throughout. They were friendly, approachable, professional, and attentive, making everyone feel comfortable from the moment they arrived. The event highlighted the importance of listening to the voices of people with lived experience, as well as families and unpaid carers. I would love to see more events like this in the future, with even more opportunities for networking, discussion, and co-production between professionals, people with lived experience, and carers."

That word, co-production, matters enormously to us. Real co-production is not consultation, it is not asking communities what they think after the decisions have been made, it is building things together from the start, with the people who will actually use them, live with them and be shaped by them. That is what Lewisham Carers believed in when they first funded T4H and it is the standard we hold ourselves to across everything we do.

For every person in that room who felt heard on 1st July, there are many more in Lewisham who are carrying their caring responsibilities largely unseen. Carers who have not had a conversation with someone about how they are managing. Who have not had an hour to themselves. Who do not know what support exists or do not feel entitled to access it.

If you are a carer in Lewisham and you are reading this, please reach out. Our low cost clinic offers complementary therapies on a sliding scale.

Read about where you can get more help www.imago.community