About BCU

BCU Life Skills Centre

Women's group

"A lovely safe place to come and share problems and worries with people that care about you. A place to relax and know that your children are being cared for in the crèche. The provision of low cost refreshments and support from other women or advice for your problems with access to a counsellor one-to-one or in a group."

"I have a young daughter and was finding it difficult at home. As a first time older mum I had no other friends to talk to or just chat with. At the BCU I can have a chance to meet other women and my daughter can go in the crèche for a couple of hours - she loves it here - otherwise we don't see anyone all week apart from one other morning at a toddler group. The BCU helped me also get over my post-natal depression by providing a crèche and a place to come to. It has been a sanctuary for me". Sarah.

"I have attended two First Aid courses this year and a Food Hygiene course. It has helped me so much as these courses would be too expensive for me and are very valuable. Through the BCU I have also received counselling which has helped me through a very traumatic time this year. My son attends the crèche here and loves it. Just having a friendly, welcoming place to come has made a world of difference to my life and kept me going in very difficult times. Thank you very much BCU".

"BCU is a fantastic place. It gives some many women a place to go with Women Only day and the courses such as Confidence Building, First Aid and Food Hygiene. It gives ladies and men a hot lunch every Friday and lots of lonely people make friends. Ellen and Janice are our BCU angels.I think I would be lost in my life if I never had BCU. I came from Bermondsey, London in 1986 and through the BCU I have got a lot of friends. Also they are all kind and caring".

"I have come to the BCU with my friend as I find it hard to get out and about with my children. They go to the crèche and enjoy playing with the other children and they look forward to coming. While they are having fun I'm getting the chance to meet new people and have a couple of hours to myself. The BCU has made life easier for me in general. Thank you BCU".

"I have been using BCU services now for more than five years and wouldn't be able to imagine stopping from coming. I've used the one to one counselling and still use the therapy group. Although I moved from Bexley Borough more than 2 years ago and it takes me and hour and half to come by bus, I will carry on coming as I find the BCU services helpful for the day to day problems that a single unemployed women has to face, particularly after having been through homelessness and depression with the feeling of being lonely, isolated and helpless. I am very grateful and thankful for what Ellen and her colleagues have achieved in helping us in our desperate moments"

"When I first came to the BCU I was fleeing domestic violence, suffering from mental illness and a single parent with a 3 mo nth old baby.
Nine years on I am medication free, in a healthy, stable relationship and a newly qualified Health Trainer volunteering at the BCU.
There have been many steps along the way but the first step on the road to recovery was walking through the doors of BCU.
The BCU gave me domestic violence counselling, assertion and confidence boosting courses and now the BCU enables me to continue volunteering as a Health Trainer whilst breast-feeding my 4 month of baby, thanks to the crèche. Thank you BCU. Long may you continue to support people in putting their lives back together".

Counselling

"I have found the counselling an invaluable part of my week. It has helped me to come to terms with aspects of my life that were not under my control. The creche is absolutely brilliant for my children. The staff are supportive and wonderful with the children. My elder child at school still enjoys coming during the holidays. A great service!"

"It has been a lifeline for me. The counselling has helped me so much. When I first came here I was in such a bad way with depression. Now I've changed so much. I'm more outgoing, made good friends and don't feel alone. My little girl loves going to the crèche and it has helped her learn to mix with other children, to share and it has given me time out so thank you BCU".

"The counselling has been very positive and useful and helpful to me following my mother's death and I don't know where I would be without your support. The drop-in is excellent and if you feel down you will always come out laughing. Ellen and Trish are always there for support and advice".

Following counselling: "I wanted to thank you so much for everything you have done to help me. I feel so privileged to have been given the chance to work with Catherine for so long, and I feel that I benefited enormously. I think what the Centre is doing is truly wonderful".

"Over the years I have been coming to BCU, I have found the whole organisation to be supportive and valuable to me as a place of safety, peace and a place to meet people. BCU provides therapy services which have been invaluable to me. I very much appreciate their existence and would wish for an increase in the provision of these much needed, not in spite of the current economic climate but because of it. I feel sure many people, isolated by their mental health and events in their lives would really benefit from BCU".

General service

"Having somewhere to go to and having someone to talk to in confidence. Knowing that you are not alone or on your own. Learning experiences from each other".

"The Centre is a god-send, come rain or sun it is always a pleasant place to come to. People are friendly and helpful at all times. They help with any problem they can".

"I like to come to BCU because I meet people and have a healthy meal each Friday. It helps me feel less lonely".

"When I come to BCU I don't feel lonely any more. I meet other people with the same mental health problems as me and can talk about them".

"I find that it is a wonderful place to come not only for the magnificent food but all the people I meet and I find that it's a home from home. It's nice to meet everyone, a cross section of society. It is wonderful to help them with their problems in some small way. The staff and everyone else are always smiling and happy. It is a haven in a very difficult world. It must confess that when I've been to the BCU I am happy and I feel inwardly refreshed both spiritually and mentally".

"The BCU services are of excellent standard and they are always ready to help with any issues and nothing's too much for their friendly and welcoming staff. It is on the whole a warm friendly and safe place to go to".

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