Wellbeing

We now offer formal bookable counselling sessions and the Samson Centre provides a safe haven to share your experiences and worries. Our lounge area is often used for informal social gatherings over coffee and biscuits and members are a great support to each other. Our staff can be made available if you’d rather have a 1:1 chat. We also offer emotional support for carers and family members.

We now offer formal bookable counselling sessions and the Samson Centre provides a safe haven to share your experiences and worries. Our lounge area is often used for informal social gatherings over coffee and biscuits and members are a great support to each other. Our staff can be made available if you’d rather have a 1:1 chat. We also offer emotional support for carers and family members.

The Samson Centre is based at the Guildford Waterside Centre, in an idyllic position by the river. This amazing place has allowed charities, sports clubs and community groups to share premises, costs and resources for the past 30 years. As well as the Samson Centre, it is home to the Wey Kayak Club, the Guildford branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club and used by community groups including the Guildford Lions Club.

This is a unique situation but one that seems to work extremely well and the Samson Centre benefits from having use of facilities that would otherwise be out of reach.

We offer a friendly and informal level of support to all those living with MS. A relaxed place to have a cup of coffee and talk to others who understand what it’s like living with MS. Our staff can advise on lifestyle factors which can contribute to general good health such as diet, stress management and keeping active. We follow the latest research on optimising brain health and understand the importance that a healthy lifestyle can have on the symptoms and progression of MS.

Carers and family members have an opportunity to meet others in a similar situation as themselves and have a rest, a riverside walk or just a cup of tea. (We aim to restart our carers class soon).

We also run Zoom relaxation sessions and two stretch classes with a focus on breathing and mindfulness.

We have close contacts with local services, such as Dorking Talking Therapies (web address below), who have supported some of our members over the years. Other MS specific services, such as MS UK run a counselling service that our members can refer themselves to.

https://dhctalkingtherapies.co.uk/

https://www.ms-uk.org/counselling

MS UK for excellent list of mental health support services

https://www.ms-uk.org/

Links to support for carers

https://www.actionforcarers.org.uk/

https://crossroadscaresurrey.org.uk/

“A place to feel comfortable where people really understand.”

“They really understand what I’m going through.”

Wellbeing

What support does the Samson Centre offer to those struggling to cope with a new diagnosis of MS / changes in their MS?

Where else can I go for support such as counselling?

What should I do if I need help now?