Last week I visited women@thewell – a women's day centre in London, working with vulnerable women. I wasn't very clear as to what that meant in practice, before my visit but, by the time I left, I was elated from experiencing such love and compassion! 

Now, I know it's easy to switch off when you hear/read such words, and I wonder what that says about how cynical we've become as a society. However, at Asilia, we are all about embracing those words in a business context. If we can infuse all that we engage ourselves in (read: our work) with love, surely that passion and positivity will spread to even a handful of those who our work touches. 

And so it is with women@thewell. A repurposed King's Cross hotel now serves as a welcoming, safe, friendly place for women who, essentially, have fallen on hard times. Whether that's because they are homeless, whether they have been trafficked to this country, whether they make a living on the streets etc. Women@theWell works with them on whatever they need to improve their situations. There's no rigid imposed programme, no 12 steps and then you're out. Here, the women determine what they need and get the necessary support for as long as they want it. 

There are several facilities in the centre including a laundry room (one thing I'd never considered – when you're living on the streets, where do you wash your clothes?), clothes cupboard (a big room actually, where you can pick the clothes you need), on-site legal advice and soon, an on-site GP too. Volunteers fill the building, helping to lead, amongst other workshops, gardening, cooking, arts & crafts, meditation and Tai Chi. The mere presence of these friendly volunteers helps to create the warm family spirit that the centre prides itself on. Just as with family, beneficiaries can expect unconditional love, without judgement.

We are thrilled to be working with women@thewell, to create an online space that is just as inspired.