Loren Hessey, Team Leader at Matilda House, explains how therapy sessions have made a real difference to the lives of the people who live there. She says: “Some residents can be with us for many years, and at times lack hope and motivation due to past circumstances. With a change of mindset and key worker support, residents are able to work towards their futures.”
In October 2022, we applied for the Great Places to Live fund in hopes of receiving extra funding to renovate Matilda House. This grant is given to organisations that require financial support for economic hardship, health and wellbeing access, and digital training. The great news is that our team were awarded £15,000 from the fund to use towards renovation efforts.
Residents and staff at Matilda House then came up with a plan to build a life skills lounge that could be used for group or private therapy sessions. They received planning permission in February 2023 to start the renovations.
After months of hard work, the lounge was completed in October. Residents and staff are really happy with how the space has turned out and are delighted to start using it.
One resident said: “It’s such a nice space to have here at Matilda House. It’s separate from the main building, making it a much more private and secure space to have sessions.”
You can read more about Matilda House and our other supported housing available here.