Mental Health in Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest is a diverse and inclusive borough, somewhere we want all LGBTQ+ residents to feel safe and supported. Here are some sources of support and some useful ways for LGBTQ+ Londoners to get support for mental health and wellbeing. 

Local LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing charity elop offer a range of specialist mental health support, advice, information, counselling, and well being support with a wide range of community connection services for LGBTQ+ people including events, activities and social support groups.

elop's wellbeing groups and activities include:

• Nexus LGBTQ+ Social support group: weekly, every Tuesday 6pm to 8pm
• Chapters LGBTQ+ Social meet-up for over 50s: weekly, every Tuesday 4pm to 5.45pm
• Rainbow Families meet-up: monthly, every fourth Sunday 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

To find out more information about these sessions, call 07908 553744 or email events@elop.org.

• Youth Out East for under 25s: weekly, times vary.

To find out more email youth@elop.org.

elop's mental health support & crisis prevention service includes:

• ReCharge LGBTQ+ mental health peer support group: weekly, every Monday 10.30am to 12.30pm
• ReEngage LGBTQ+ friendship support & social activities programme: every Monday 3.15pm to 5.15pm
• ReMain LGBTQ+ asylum support group: weekly, every Thursday 3.15pm to 5.15pm
• ReBuild LGBTQ+ asylum 6-week mental health plan and group support: Tuesdays, online, 11am to 1pm
• IMAGO trans and non-binary+ mental health support group for all gender non-conforming people: weekly, every Wednesday 7pm to 8.30pm

If you need tailored, 1-1 support, elop offers low-cost, trauma-informed, confidential LGBTQ+ affirmative counselling services. They are uniquely provided by and for LGBTQ+ people around all life impacting issues and concerns. Self-refer by emailing counselling@elop.org. Referrals can also be made by professionals.

London Friend’s social and support groups provide a safe space away from the scene for LGBTQ+ people to come together to discuss a range of issues affecting them, including coming out and questions about sexuality. 

London LGBTQ+ Community Centre is a community centre and cafe in Blackfriars, working with LGBTQ+ service providers, and offering a holistic programme of services, events, talks, workshops, combined with a cafe space that invites visitors to simply just be. 

• 60 to 62 Hopton Street (SE1 9JH) open Wednesday to Sunday between 11am to 8pm.

Rainbow Mind is an LGBTQIA+ mental health service, which is led and staffed by LGBTQIA+ people. They offer 1:1 therapy, support groups and courses, and youth programming.

Positive East is London's HIV and sexual health charity, who provide better futures for people living with or affected by HIV. They provide counselling, social and support groups, creative activities, workshops and courses, peer support and much more.

LGBT Foundation and Switchboard's helplines are open for those who are feeling alone, isolated or concerned. Both helplines have trained volunteers who will listen and try and understand the multitude of feelings and concerns that may be going on for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community:

• Call LGBT Foundation’s helpline on 0345 330 3030 (9am until 9pm weekdays, 10am until 6pm weekends)
• Call Switchboard’s helpline on 0300 330 0630 (10am to 10pm daily)

Stonewall has an information service for help and advice for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community:

• Call for free on 0800 0502020 (9.30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday) or email info@stonewall.org.uk 

Mind has a range of information about mental health support for people who are LGBTQ+.

Galop is the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. They work with and for LGBTQ+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence.

Mermaids offer support to trans young people and their loved ones.

Gendered Intelligence have direct support available for people waiting for gender-affirmative healthcare.

Sometimes, bereavement support services developed and delivered specifically for LGBTQI+ people are better positioned to understand what individuals are going through and to offer the right help. 

When faced with the loss of a loved one, many LGBTQIA+ people may face additional challenges such as familial estrangement or a lack of acknowledgement of their relationships, alongside the universal experiences of sadness and distress. 

• London Friend offer six, free one-to-one counselling sessions to LGBTQIA+ people, to help cope with a difficult bereavement.
• Thrive LDN has a sudden bereavement resource for anyone grieving the sudden death of someone close to them, or for those supporting someone going through sudden bereavement. This includes information on bereavement by suicide.