We are delighted to report that in 2022, we handled 228 cases/enquiries, providing assistance to hundreds of local people in resolving conflicts in their homes, workplaces, and communities. We served a diverse range of clients, including neighbours, families, Borough councils, schools, charities, and private landlords. Furthermore, in late 2022 we commenced mediations between the Post Office and its subpostmasters, having been appointed to mediate Historic Shortfall Scheme and Stamps Scheme disputes in 2020.
Our mediation work was recognised by the 2022 National Mediation Awards, where we were shortlisted for the “Mediation Provider of the Year” award.
In addition to our mediation casework, we have also been expanding our training work in order to meet the demands and needs of those in the community. We provided:
- peer mediation training at two primary schools in Battersea,
- communication skills and rapport building training for managers at Richmond and Wandsworth Council, and
- bespoke workshops for multiple local community organisations. These workshops aimed to support leaders who work with young people in connecting and communicating with individuals who may display challenging behaviour or engage in conflict.
Our outreach work included participating in local events and community network meetings. During one of these meetings, we learned about the need to support women in Roehampton who are facing conflict, many of whom have experienced domestic abuse, or might be lone parenting or unemployed. In response, we developed a series of six communication skills workshops led by women for women. These workshops are running between January and March 2023. Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with 100% respondents saying they learnt new strategies to deal with disagreements, and 80% stating they would now feel safer at home should a conflict arise.
In order to meet the ever increasing demand for our service, we trained four new neighbour mediators in 2022, bringing our neighbour panel to 30 volunteers. The training was rigorous and involved an assessment, which all participants successfully passed. Furthermore, we trained seven volunteers from our other panels in intergenerational mediation to help support families in disputes. We now have 60 trained, highly experienced and dedicated volunteers who support the training, mediation and conflict coaching work we offer. Find out more about our mediators here.
We are very grateful to The National Lottery Community fund for supporting us in creating peaceful and harmonious communities in Wandsworth.
If you would like to hear more about how our wide range of services might support people you know, or who you are working with, please do get in touch with us.
