Our History.
Find out why and how our charity played a key role in the history of the women's movement in Camden.
A grassroots idea in Somers Town (1983)
Women + Health was born from a simple but powerful question: what do women in our community need to feel healthier and more supported?
In 1983, a group of women in Somers Town carried out a survey of local women. The findings were striking. Many women said they felt isolated, uninformed about their health, and lacked a welcoming place where they could access support.
From this, the idea of Women + Health was born- a community space where women could learn about their health, access therapies and counselling, and support one another in a safe environment.
Opening the Women + Health Centre (1986)
With support from the Greater London Council and the London Borough of Camden, the organisation secured a building on Carol Street in Camden Town.
The building had once been a pub serving workers from the nearby glue factory.
After renovation, the Women + Health Centre officially opened in January 1986.
In the early days the centre was small but ambitious, offering:
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Massage therapy
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Counselling
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Medical advice
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Yoga classes.
Volunteers ran reception, cleaned the building and helped keep services running. From the beginning, the centre was built by the community, for the community.
A growing community resource (1990s)
Through the 1990s, Women + Health became a vital support hub for women in Camden. Many women came to the centre experiencing:
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mental health difficulties
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the impact of trauma or violence
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caring responsibilities
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poverty or isolation.
The organisation expanded its services during this time- employing paid staff and securing funding- and strengthened its role as a holistic community health centre, offering therapies, counselling, workshops and practical support.
The Legacy of Boo Armstrong
One of the most influential people in Women + Health’s history was Boo Armstrong, a passionate Camden community activist and social entrepreneur.
Boo joined Women + Health in the 1990s, initially working on reception. Her energy, vision and determination quickly made her a central figure in the organisation’s development.
She later became Director of Women + Health, helping transform the centre and expand its reach.
Among her many contributions, Boo:
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Raised around £400,000 from the National Lottery to renovate the centre;
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Helped redesign the building to become an eco-friendly health centre, including solar panels, accessible facilities and sustainable systems;
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Championed the integration of complementary therapies alongside conventional healthcare;
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Worked to ensure these therapies were accessible to people regardless of income.
Boo was widely respected for her compassion, creativity, and activism, and was honoured with a London blue plaque for her work. She died in 2012 aged 37 after living with breast cancer for 18 months, leaving a lasting legacy in Camden’s health and community sector.
Women + Health continues to honour her contribution- including community fundraising events and memorial tributes celebrating her life and work.
You can read more about her life and impact here:
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Camden New Journal tribute to Boo Armstrong
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Camden New Journal article on her community activism
Expanding services (2010s)
Over the following years, Women + Health expanded its programmes to support women facing complex challenges.
Key projects included:
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The Phoenix Project (2013–2018) - supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and long-term carers. Funded by the Big Lottery.
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Healthworks Camden (2017) - bringing affordable therapies into workplaces and community spaces across the borough.
By this time the organisation was supporting hundreds of women every year with counselling, therapies and health programmes.
Thanks in large part to Boo Armstrong’s fundraising efforts and the trust bestowed in the organisation by our funders, the Women + Health building underwent a major transformation in the 2000s.
The renovation created a brighter, more accessible and environmentally sustainable space, including:
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improved natural lighting
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wheelchair access and lift facilities
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energy-efficient systems
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environmentally sustainable building design
These changes ensured the centre could continue serving the community for decades to come.
A new chapter: moving to Cheriton (2026)
In 2026, Women + Health began an exciting new chapter with the move to a new home at Cheriton.
The new space will allow Women + Health to continue providing local women with access to counselling, therapies, workshops, gardening and wellbeing support for many years to come.
We are grateful to the London Borough of Camden for providing us suitable premises and their support.
More than 40 years after a group of local women first asked how they could improve health in their community, Women + Health remains rooted in the same values:
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community
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accessibility
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holistic wellbeing
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women supporting women
Every year, hundreds of people continue to find care, connection and healing through Women + Health.
