About The Sikh Helpline
Established over 25 years ago, The Sikh Helpline has become a trusted point of contact for community members dealing with a range of issues, especially those linked to cultural and social taboos. The Sikh Helpline is a free, professional, and confidential telephone emotional and wellbeing service and email inquiry service, available Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.
Founded in 1995, it is the only registered charity of its kind, entirely funded through the generous donations of our supporters. The Sikh Helpline (SHL) operates independently according to its own policies and mission statement and collaborates closely with third-party agencies to ensure service users are directed to receive the necessary support.
Our services are available to any individual regardless of age, gender, race/culture, physical and mental abilities, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, class, or status. We offer a listening ear and aim to assist anyone in need of emotional support, guidance, and advice on a one-to-one basis for various issues, including but not limited to:
- Bullying and Racism
- Substance Abuse (including Smoking / Drinking / Drugs)
- Domestic Violence and Abuse
- Depression and Mental Health Issues.
- Relationship Issues
- Grooming Awareness Campaign
- Discrimination within the work place
- Problems at school or home
- Issues regarding Articles of faith
- Child abuse (sexual, physical or emotional)
The Sikh Helpline is able to assist by:
- Offering family mediation and support (to work with families to overcome cultural taboos and social barriers);
- Supporting victims through emotional and wellbeing services
- Mindfulness based intervention for depression, anxiety, anger management and substance abuse;
- Self-development and empowerment based support;
- Identify safe houses where necessary; and
- Sign posting to external reputable support services where appropriate.
The Sikh Helpline has a strong record of initiating and developing public awareness campaigns on issues like domestic abuse, substance abuse, and sexual grooming. These campaigns include creating and distributing multimedia resources, posters, information leaflets, and hosting presentations and workshops at community events, universities, schools, and other public forums. Our goal is to raise awareness and discuss prevention and reduction methods, working to break down cultural barriers that prevent people from seeking the help they need.
The Sikh Helpline was established to address these critical issues, and there have been many success stories to date. Please click on the Testimonials menu at the top of this page.