Support for your mental health in City and Hackney
Strugging with your mental health? The City & Hackney Wellbeing Network offers free drop in events (just come along!) or up to a year of specific support centred on your wellbeing goals (make a referral!)
Supporting wellbeing across City & Hackney
The City & Hackney Wellbeing Network offers free courses, group sessions and drop-in events for anyone looking to improve their mental health alongside their physical health, social networks and daily practical skills. Whether you need support, connection, or space to reflect, our partner organisations provide welcoming, inclusive spaces designed to help you feel better.
Upcoming courses in September
Discover our courses
F2F UMA – 24/09/2026
Understanding and Managing Anxiety is a 6 sessions group. Will explore anxiety, helping us to understand it and better manage it. The sessions will cover what anxiety is and how our body, thoughts and behaviours can be affected by it. We will explore different tools and techniques to learn how to manage stress symptoms and lower down anxiety levels, to make the experience of anxiety more tolerable and functional. We will integrate tools and techniques coming from CBT, Compassion-focused therapy and Mindfulness.
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Ceramics: Buddy Vase – 25/09/2026
Over 6 weeks weu2019ll be creating small bud vases, these can take various shapes and include any number of designs. You'll be supplied with templates, but also encouraged to create your own original designs. Youu2019ll be using various hand-building techniques such as slab rolling, coiling and pinching, as well as how to use moulds to create forms. Weu2019ll be decorating with materials, carving & stamps to create pattern, followed by underglaze and glaze methods to decorate and disrupt.
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Bereavement Support Group – 25/09/2026
Losing a loved one or someone we cared about, can be a most profound and painful experience. Grief can feel overwhelming, isolating, and at times confusing. This group is for anyone who has lost someone significant in their life, be it partners, parents, children, friends or pets, and is struggling to navigate the experience of bereavement, whether the loss is recent or from some time ago. You are warmly invited to join a supportive group where you can share, listen, reflect, or simply sit alongside others who understand something of what it means to grieve. There is no expectation to explain or justify your feelings, but if being in a gentle, compassionate space to explore your loss feels right for you at this time, that is reason enough to come. Over the weeks, we will thoughtfully explore the stages of grief described by Elisabeth Ku00fcbler-Ross u2014 denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. We'll focus on each stage, and will invite you to use a piece of reflective writing or short poem as a starting point. There will be space to consider how these themes resonate with your own experience, recognising that grief is deeply personal and does not follow a fixed path.
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Ceramics: Pattern & Print – 28/09/2026
A ceramics Hand-building course where you'll be encouraged to explore various techniques of transferring pattern to clay. Youu2019ll be using texture rollers, templates, slip transfer, painting, scraffito and slip trailing to achieve the patterns, and learn various hand-building techniques such as slab rolling, coiling and pinching. The work will be fired, then glazed by you in the last session.
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Upcoming open access events
Discover our events
Walk and Movement in the Park – 6/10/2026
Promotes the concept of eco therapy and mindfulness. This activity is to encourage exercise and active healthy lifestyle. Participants are supported emotionally as well as encourage regular walking exercises.nWe meet in front of the electric bicycle park in Shoreditch Park.nStart with yoga inspired warm up exercises. Then we walk around the park. Everyone walks in their own phase. Some attendees have disability so they walk in a slow phase.nWe complete the session with 15 minute yoga and qigong inspired movement.nYou do not need any props. We practice standing or sitting on the benches in the park.nThis group is open for all levels. No prior experience is necessary.nnPlease contact the facilitator or Derman office on 02076135944 for more information and learn about last minute cancellation.
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Walk and Movement in the Park – 29/9/2026
Promotes the concept of eco therapy and mindfulness. This activity is to encourage exercise and active healthy lifestyle. Participants are supported emotionally as well as encourage regular walking exercises.nWe meet in front of the electric bicycle park in Shoreditch Park.nStart with yoga inspired warm up exercises. Then we walk around the park. Everyone walks in their own phase. Some attendees have disability so they walk in a slow phase.nWe complete the session with 15 minute yoga and qigong inspired movement.nYou do not need any props. We practice standing or sitting on the benches in the park.nThis group is open for all levels. No prior experience is necessary.nnPlease contact the facilitator or Derman office on 02076135944 for more information and learn about last minute cancellation.
View this course
City and Hackney wellbeing network is funded by City and Hackney local authority in combination with funds and grants raised by individual providers in the Wellbeing Network. The providers who deliver the services of the City and Hackney wellbeing Network are:
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about our services, referrals, and how to get involved.
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No, you don’t need a referral to access our drop in-groups. These are open, and designed to be accessible to everyone. Anyone who wants support built around their personal metal health goals is welcome to get involved by making a referral. You’ll find out on the same day whether you are eligible for support. Whether you’re looking for resources, group support, or just a sense of community, you can sign up directly without going through a health professional or service. If you have any questions about how to join or what’s involved, feel free to get in touch — we’re happy to guide you.
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You can come along to our open access events without a referral. To access more groups and specific support around your goals, you need to register. If you are eligible (you will be informed the same day), in due course someone will reach out for an initial conversation. Once you’ve had a conversation around your goals, you can sign up for a group waiting list directly through our website. Simply navigate to the page for the offering you’re interested in, and you’ll find a “Sign Up” or “Register” button. Clicking that will take you to a short registration form. Fill out your details and submit the form to complete your registration. Once you’re signed up, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all the important information, including dates, times, and any materials you might need. If you run into any issues or have questions before signing up, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team — we’re here to help.
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If you’d like to speak to someone about getting support, we’re here to help. You can reach out to our team by email: [email protected], or through our website’s contact form—whatever feels most comfortable for you. Once you get in touch, a member of our team will talk with you about what kind of support you’re looking for and guide you through the options available. There’s no pressure and no need for a referral—just a friendly conversation to help you find what’s right for you. Don’t hesitate to connect with us. We’re here to listen and support you in a way that works for you.
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There is no cost to attend our Wellbeing Network sessions and activities—they’re completely free! We believe everyone should have access to mental health support without any financial barrier. Our programs are funded by the City and Hackney Local Authorities, partnerships and community grants, so all you need to do is sign up and show up. Whether you’re joining a workshop, group discussion, or guided activity, the goal is to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. If you’re wondering about anything specific—like materials, refreshments, or special events—just let us know. We’re here to ensure your participation is easy, enjoyable, and accessible!
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Sessions and drop-ins usually take place at our charity partner provider venues across the area or local wellbeing centres, libraries, or community halls. We aim to use welcoming, comfortable spaces that are easy to get to by public transport or car. Some sessions may also be held outdoors or online, depending on the activity and time of year. Each event listing will include the location details, so you’ll always know where to go. If you’re unsure about how to get there or have specific accessibility needs, just get in touch—we’re happy to help you plan your visit.