Wandsworth Mediation Service News

How can mediation help in lockdown?

Dear Mediators, Friends & Partner Organisations,

We hope that this lockdown newsletter finds you keeping well in this second lockdown due to COVID-19.

There has been a huge increase in demand for our service since the start of COVID-19 outbreak.  Enquiries about neighbour disputes have more than doubled. This will increase as we face the impact of economic difficulties, meaning that people are unable to move and will be based at home to work or after redundancy. Neighbours are finding noise and shared spaces sources of stress and conflict. Housing conditions continue to be challenging, with members of different generations living under one roof. Families face hardship and disagreements about how they live together respectfully and harmoniously. There is more divorce and separation with disputes between parents over contact with children. Mediation has never been more crucial to support our communities.

Postponing our Conflict Skills workshops

We have postponed our 6 free Good Neighbours and Talking Families workshops in Southfields to the autumn.

15 September:  Rebuilding relationships: how to restore relationships with the people around you.

22 September: Managing your emotions: how to keep your mind and body well during stressful times.

29 September: Improving your listening  skills.

6 October:  Expressing yourself: understanding and expressing your needs and feelings so that others can understand you.

Mediating Post Office Horizon cases

Our commercial arm has been appointed to manage the mediation process for the Post Office Limited in relation to its recently-announced Historical Shortfall Scheme. 

Our commercial case manager, Selina Roberts said, "We understand the power of mediation whether in a community or commercial setting, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to help all the parties involved in these cases to find a constructive way forward and resolution of their disputes." 

Delivering Mediations and Conflict Coaching by Zoom

Everyone is adapting to the "new normal" and developing new skills. 

We are thrilled to be able to continue supporting our community by providing our services online. We have already completed several successful commercial and workplace mediations via Zoom, and are now expanding our online service to mediating neighbour and family disputes. 

This challenging time has led to an increase in these kinds of conflicts, so we are grateful to our volunteer mediators for being able to help.

We are equipping children to resolve conflict by running peer mediation training in 4 local primary schools

Partnering with Peaceworks, we have trained up a team of our experienced mediators to run their established program in Wandsworth schools. 

South London Business Awards accolade for WMS

On the back of winning the Best Charity award at the Wandsworth Business Awards in 2018, WMS is delighted to announce that it was commended by the South London Business Awards 2019 in their Best Charity category.  The South London Business Awards rewards and celebrates South London‘s many dynamic and innovative businesses and charities.  WMS is appreciative that the judges saw the value of the work that we do in supporting our local community resolve conflict.  We thank our mediators for volunteering their precious time to support our work.  Congratulations to the winner, Generation Success

Grant from Wimbledon Foundation to run more community workshops

Wandsworth Mediation Service is thrilled to have been awarded a grant by the Wimbledon Foundation to run a follow up to its successful Good Neighbours and Talking Families course, this time in Southfields.  The vision of WMS is to help people who are in conflict.  One of the ways it does this is by training and equipping people to communicate better and change the way we deal with conflict within our families, and the places we live and work.

Wandsworth Mediation Service runs free community workshops in Balham in June and July 2019

We trained 27 members of our local community as part of our ‘Good Neighbours and Talking Families’ project, which ran for 2 hour sessions each week for 6 weeks, and was funded by Wandle Housing Association. 

Successful fundraiser means we can continue to offer community mediation for free to residents of Wandsworth

We raised nearly £17,000 at a fundraising dinner for 140 guests at the spectacular walled garden at Le Gothique In Wandsworth on 16 May 2019.  Particular thanks to our sponsors: Alen-Buckley, Penningtons Manches and Russell-Cooke and to those who gifted our auction and lucky dip items and to all those who came to the dinner or donated to us.  We will safeguard the money we have raised; and spend wisely, as we have always done, for the benefit of our community.

WMS wins prestigious ‘Best Charity’ award at the 2018 Wandsworth Business Awards

We are thrilled to announce that Wandsworth Mediation Service received the Best Charity award at the Wandsworth Business Awards. We feel very honoured to have been selected by the judges from a group of well-known and respected charities. This recognises the hard work that has been carried out by everyone involved with Wandsworth Mediation Service over the past 14 years to help build bridges between those in conflict in our community.

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