An Islington mental health charity has launched a women’s hub to provide a holistic and community-led approach to counselling.

The Women’s Hub at the Maya Centre, in Archway, is designed to be a space where women can co-design wellbeing workshops according to their own specialism and needs.

The Maya Centre is a community-based charity founded in 1984 which provides free mental health and wellbeing services to women from low incomes.

Emma Brech, CEO at the Maya Centre, said: “Women in Islington have been saying to us for a long time that they would like to see more holistic, flexible and accessible wellbeing support tailored to their needs.

“We will really take this chance to reach out into our community and listen to women, particularly those we may not have heard from before.”

At the hub women can integrate their own interests, expertise and ideas to create a welcoming space for people from all backgrounds, according to project leader Michalina Popiolek.

She said: “The Women’s Hub was born from what women were telling us about what they need in terms of looking after their mental health.

“One of the main things they were saying was that mainstream mental health services do not meet their needs, specifically that there is not enough understanding of intersectionality and women’s particular experience.

“The women told us they needed a little bit more space and activities and workshops where they can look after their mental health and really get connected before they reach a crisis point.”

The hub was launched in July and Michalina is currently working alongside leaders and volunteers to tailor social groups and events to the community’s needs.

Samira came to the Maya Centre through the Black Women’s Group after struggling with anxiety and depression and will now help to develop the Women’s Hub.

The 26-year-old said: “I was the youngest in the Black Women’s Group and I didn’t have that much personal experience to draw from. The other women in the group were much older than me and gave me advice. I started becoming more open and confident in the group and was able to participate more.

“The biggest impact was that I was able to distinguish the root cause of my personal issues and surround myself with a group of women that made me realise there is no one way to be Black, which was something that I had to recognise and reconcile with.

“It’s been really a very profound experience being part of the Black Women’s Group and the Maya Centre is one of the best counselling experiences I’ve had and it has made a significant impact in my life.”

Samira is in her third year at London Metropolitan University, studying nutrition, and she hopes to set up a group around food education at the hub.

She said: “I would like to facilitate groups incorporating activities for women of colour to discuss nutrition and the importance of food and try to incorporate cultural difference and engage in intersectional discussion.”

Other workshops could include gardening, yoga, or book clubs.

The student from Islington said the Women’s Hub will be a space for women from all different backgrounds to feel safe, connected and supported.

Samira said: “The reason I declined therapy was to develop my sense of agency and that’s something I’ve been receiving from the hub, which is that I could have choices in terms of trying to figure out what I would need to get better.

“I think it's important to recognise that yes we’re struggling but we’re also still women who are passionate and really excited about doing things and we’re just trying to find that balance and the space between the chaos that’s happening outside, internally in society. Trying to find a space for us all to collectively just take a breather.”

For more information visit www.mayacentre.org.uk