Keeping Families Together has launched a free advice helpline to support people in the local community with domestic violence, family courts, housing, and other family issues.

Wandsworth-based charity, Keeping Families Together, has launched a nightline for parents and carers in South West London, which will provide free, otherwise unavailable support with important family issues in the evening and early hours of the morning. 

Founded in 2021 by Deepika Makwana, Keeping Families Together is based out of East Hill Baptist Church in East Hill and seeks to help families who are struggling with day-to-day issues, as well as supporting them through family courts, school exclusions and assessments, and connecting them with social services, solicitors, councillors and others who can provide additional help. 

The charity’s early intervention approach provides support for parents and children through workshops centred on issues of loneliness to minimise the risk of young people becoming isolated in society and falling into gang culture. 

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The new free-to-access helpline is run by a team of trained volunteers and offers confidential support for a range of issues that families and young people in Wandsworth may face, including domestic abuse; bullying; the family courts process; housing; social services; concerns about children, alongside other family concerns. 

Speaking about the helpline, Dee Makwana, Volunteer Director at Keeping Families Together, explained: “Unfortunately, our advice line is heavily oversubscribed, and we are sometimes unable to help all of our potential service users. Many parents and young people in the community are also unable to call during regular hours because of work, childcare and other commitments, and so they miss out on the support we can offer them.

"We are therefore delighted to be expanding this free service into the evenings and early mornings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

“This would not be possible without our excellent volunteers, volunteer assistant director, Lisa Idrisu, the trustees of the charity and the time they give up. We are grateful for the continued support of our sponsor, Rockwell – which has kindly donated the resources we needed to make this big next step.” 

Property developer Rockwell is committed to building and enhancing local communities, whilst bringing investment to the neighbourhood. It believes that long-term partnerships, carefully designed to bring tangible benefits to local people, can transform communities for the better, much in the same way that its buildings do.  

To show their support for Keeping Families Together, and the volunteers who work tirelessly to support those most in need, Rockwell’s team raised more than £3,000 for the charity by walking 30km across London throughout the night. 

In times of need volunteers will be available on the helpline throughout the evening and early hours of the morning for any struggling person to speak to, to talk through any problem. 

To access the new free advice line, call, text or WhatsApp the team on 07300 516 783:
•    From Friday 5pm through to 9am on Saturday
•    From Saturday 5pm through to 9am on Sunday