Hi! Thank you for taking the time to look at my page!

I am running the London Marathon this year and I am fundraising for the wonderful women's charity called Saheliya, which is a small charity local to me in Leith, Edinburgh. Saheliya is a specialist mental health organisation for black, minority ethnic, refugee and asylum seeker women (12+) with lived experience of gendered abuse, racial inequalities, and difficulties accessing mainstream services. Supporting their work means a lot to me and it is a cause close to my heart. I am particularly passionate about helping to empower vulnerable women and children and those from a BAME backgrounds, asylum seekers and refugees. I also believe now is a particularly important time to reach out and support this cause (I'm thinking 'Black Lives Matter', the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and the increase in domestic abuse and current events in Afghanistan). As a Music Therapist, I am a huge advocate for psychological therapies and improving people's general health and wellbeing and I am inspired by the transformative work Saheliya is doing to not only combat mental health stigma, but actively provide therapies in both individual and group format to those who really need the support more than ever. 

Thank you for any support you can give 

A bit more info....

We promote mental well-being by combating the effects of abuse, reducing the stigma of mental illness, and building integration, through practical, emotional and therapeutic support, advocacy in 14 first languages, and group activities.

We are proud to say that during Covid period we have continued to offer our free services safely and remotely to over 1300 women, but outside of the restrictions created by the pandemic our community hubs in Edinburgh is an absolute haven of activity. We provide an environment where service users are able to feel safe, have their voices heard, deal with any issues they might be facing as well as socialise and feel included.

We also provide childcare in both locations to enable women with small children attend sessions such as classes, group work, gardening, counselling, art therapy or 1to1 support.

This has been an extremely challenging year for the charity and the women we work with and we have received more referrals than before. Our staff have been creative, adaptive and flexible in supporting women, many in desperate situations, throughout the Covid period. 

Thank you so so much for your support! Every little helps and will go a long way.

Warmest wishes and love,

Sarah xxx