The Story Sanctuary

A Common Thread: Creative Sewing & Embroidery
2026-05-21 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-06-04 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-06-18 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-07-02 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-07-16 10:30 - 12:00 (Europe/London)
A growing community of soft makers: our ‘A Common Thread’ sessions are the epitome of how we build community over shared passions and experiences. All ages, all skill levels, all backgrounds, all together: bring a project or start one; help with a group make to display in the space or help others to learn. Whether it’s patchwork or embroidery, cross-stitch or crochet, you will likely find someone who shares your making joy.

Led by Christel Stranack (@craftybleublancrouge), a talented multidisciplinary maker, supported by other volunteers of all ages. These sessions are predominantly for hand-makers, but all welcome!

Practical Details:

Our building is not (yet) fully accessible, there are steps down to the toilets which are not suitable for wheelchair users or those who need assistance.

Ticket Costs:

The Story Sanctuary is a grassroots community initiative, led by volunteers. To help balance accessibility with sustainability, we use a tiered pricing model:

SUPPORTER – £15Covers the true cost of your place at an event/workshop and helps support our future.Intended for those on a decent salary or pension who can comfortably meet their basic needs.

STANDARD – £12Covers the bulk of the cost of your place at the event or workshop.Intended for those who are waged or have a reasonable pension and can meet their basic needs.

ACCESSIBLE – £8Helps make participation possible when money is tight.Intended for those on benefits or pension credits, or who are experiencing financial difficulty.

Click here to book

Reading for Resilience (11-16 yr olds)
2026-05-22 13:00 - 14:30, 2026-06-26 13:00 - 14:30
Reading for Resilience is a relaxed, youth-led space where young people come together to explore stories, share ideas, and connect through books that speak to real life.

This group is shaped by you. You help choose the books we read and the themes we explore — including resilience, identity, emotions, and wellbeing. We read together, share storytelling, and talk about characters and moments that stand out.

You can join in as much or as little as feels right for you.

The group is led by a creative psychotherapist who specialises in young people’s wellbeing, offering gentle guidance, emotional support, and coping strategies when needed. Sessions are flexible and will be shaped and adapted to the needs of the group, so everyone feels comfortable and supported.

What this group is about:

Feeling safe, accepted, and respected

Building connections at your own pace

Exploring emotions through stories and creativity

Being heard — without pressure to speak

Having choice and control over how you take part

You don’t need to be a confident reader or speaker. Listening is okay. Sharing is optional. Being yourself is enough.

By joining, you can:

Connect with others in a calm, supportive space

Understand your feelings through stories and discussion

Build confidence and resilience

Feel a sense of belonging

This group is open to young people who enjoy books, stories, or simply being part of a group focused on wellbeing, identity, and resilience.

Practical Details:

Our building is not (yet) fully accessible, there are steps down to the toilets which are not suitable for wheelchair users or those who need assistance.

Ticket Costs:

The Story Sanctuary is a grassroots community initiative, led by volunteers. To help balance accessibility with sustainability, we use a tiered pricing model:

SUPPORTER – £15Covers the true cost of your place at an event/workshop and helps support our future.Intended for those on a decent salary or pension who can comfortably meet their basic needs.

STANDARD – £12Covers the bulk of the cost of your place at the event or workshop.Intended for those who are waged or have a reasonable pension and can meet their basic needs.

ACCESSIBLE – £8Helps make participation possible when money is tight.Intended for those on benefits or pension credits, or who are experiencing financial difficulty.

Click here to book

Meditation & Check In Circle
2026-05-23 08:00 - 09:00
An early morning reset to transition from the week into the weekend. A gentle welcome and warm-up followed by a 20-25minute guided meditation and time for check-in and reflection. Designed for busy mums and all who carry stress and responsibility that feels hard to let go; allow yourself this moment to ground yourself, restore some balance and calm so that you can be fully present in yourself and your weekend.

Pascale Roura specialises in community wellbeing and family yoga. She believes in nurturing human connection for growth, balance and joy. She is trained in children’s yoga and meditation tuition and is passionate about our planet and climate change.

Practical Details:

Our building is not (yet) fully accessible, there are steps down to the toilets which are not suitable for wheelchair users or those who need assistance.

Ticket Costs:

The Story Sanctuary is a grassroots community initiative, led by volunteers. To help balance accessibility with sustainability, we use a tiered pricing model:

SUPPORTER – £15Covers the true cost of your place at an event/workshop and helps support our future.Intended for those on a decent salary or pension who can comfortably meet their basic needs.

STANDARD – £12Covers the bulk of the cost of your place at the event or workshop.Intended for those who are waged or have a reasonable pension and can meet their basic needs.

ACCESSIBLE – £8Helps make participation possible when money is tight.Intended for those on benefits or pension credits, or who are experiencing financial difficulty.

Click here to book

Chair Yoga with Veronica Moulder
2026-05-27 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-06-03 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-06-10 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-06-17 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-06-24 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-07-01 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-07-08 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-07-15 13:30 - 14:30 and 2 more dates
Chair Yoga is a safe form of exercise that is suitable for everyone. It is especially useful for people who have restricted movement due to disability, injury or ageing. It can help with conditions such as high blood pressure, anxiety, arthritis, MS, depression and chronic pain. Chair Yoga allows you to move your body safely and increase strength and flexibility. It will also help with balance, relaxation and stress management.

Veronica Moulder has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. She trained with the British Wheel of Yoga and is passionate about the benefits of yoga for improving the quality of life of her students both physically and mentally.

Practical Details:

Our building is not (yet) fully accessible, there are steps down to the toilets which are not suitable for wheelchair users or those who need assistance.

Ticket Costs:

The Story Sanctuary is a grassroots community initiative, led by volunteers. To help balance accessibility with sustainability, we use a tiered pricing model:

SUPPORTER – £15Covers the true cost of your place at an event/workshop and helps support our future.Intended for those on a decent salary or pension who can comfortably meet their basic needs.

STANDARD – £12Covers the bulk of the cost of your place at the event or workshop.Intended for those who are waged or have a reasonable pension and can meet their basic needs.

ACCESSIBLE – £8Helps make participation possible when money is tight.Intended for those on benefits or pension credits, or who are experiencing financial difficulty.

Click here to book

Community Garden & Maintenance Drop In
2026-06-02 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-07 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-04 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-01 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-06 10:00 - 15:00
Join us for a gentle gardening and tidy up session. No experience or regular commitment needed.

We’d love your help keeping our gardens welcoming and well cared for. There will be a range of simple tasks like sweeping and weeding, through to more hands-on jobs such as pruning and helping to plant our new community garden.

It’s also a lovely chance to make new friends and find out more about what we do.

🗓 First Tuesday of each month — 10am–3pm🗓 Third Friday of each month — 10am–2pm

Tea, coffee and biscuits provided ☕🍪If no one is outside when you arrive, please come to the staff entrance.Bring tools if you have them (no worries if not!).

Feel free to join our WhatsApp group for updates and reminders:https://chat.whatsapp.com/Jz4ecXsEyoI4HkfpzWCKRa

We’d love to see you there! 🌱

If it’s raining, we’re probably not gardening but do pop down and say hi!

Untangling Ourselves: Carers Colour, Doodle & Chat
2026-06-15 11:00 - 12:30, 2026-07-20 11:00 - 12:30
A non-judgemental welcoming space for carers to decompress and share their experience. Colour, doodle or tangle over coffee, tea and biscuits or just sit and listen; you only share what feels right for you. A brief interlude where you can focus on, and remember how to be, yourself with others who understand how self-care is not as simple as it sounds.

Welcoming carers of all types, particularly those supporting adult children, or juggling supporting their parents alongside raising their family.

Jill Finch is founder of The Story Sanctuary, the inspiration for which partially came from being a long-term parent/carer to both her child and mother-in-law. She understands the isolation and the emotional, financial and logistical complexity of care, and balancing your own needs against those who need you.

Practical Details:

Our building is not (yet) fully accessible, there are steps down to the toilets which are not suitable for wheelchair users or those who need assistance.

Ticket Costs:

The Story Sanctuary is a grassroots community initiative, led by volunteers. To help balance accessibility with sustainability, we use a tiered pricing model:

SUPPORTER – £15Covers the true cost of your place at an event/workshop and helps support our future.Intended for those on a decent salary or pension who can comfortably meet their basic needs.

STANDARD – £12Covers the bulk of the cost of your place at the event or workshop.Intended for those who are waged or have a reasonable pension and can meet their basic needs.

ACCESSIBLE – £8Helps make participation possible when money is tight.Intended for those on benefits or pension credits, or who are experiencing financial difficulty.

Click here to book

Community Garden & Maintenance Drop In
2026-06-19 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-07-17 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-08-21 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-18 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-10-16 10:00 - 14:00
Join us for a gentle gardening and tidy up session. No experience or regular commitment needed.

We’d love your help keeping our front garden welcoming and well cared for. There will be a range of simple tasks like sweeping and weeding, through to more hands-on jobs such as pruning — and even opportunities to help us think about future garden plans.

It’s also a lovely chance to make new friends and find out more about what we do.

🗓 First Tuesday of each month — 10am–3pm🗓 Third Friday of each month — 10am–2pm

Tea, coffee and biscuits provided ☕🍪If no one is outside when you arrive, please come to the staff entrance.Bring tools if you have them (no worries if not!).

Feel free to join our WhatsApp group for updates and reminders:https://chat.whatsapp.com/Jz4ecXsEyoI4HkfpzWCKRa

We’d love to see you there! 🌱

If it’s raining, we’re probably not gardening but do pop down and say hi!
