The Listening Centre (TLC) is a counselling service for Blackbird Leys and Oxford.

It is a registered charity (No. 1098571) and aims to provide a low-cost service for local people.

It is staffed by volunteers who are either qualified or in training. All have supervision and the service is professional and confidential.

We are happy to respond to any enquiries you may have about the service. We do have a waiting list for clients, as our present resources do not allow us to offer immediate appointments.

View TLC Constitution

View current Annual Report

We are grateful to FreeCharity for hosting this site

The TLC Story

The Listening Centre (TLC) was set up in October 1993 on the Feast of St Frideswide - the patron saint of Oxford City. The original vision of the founders of TLC was to establish a sister project to The Caravan at St. James' Church, Piccadilly, London, which offers free counselling on both a drop-in and appointment basis to people on a very low income. TLC retains the spirit of co-operative management and mutual support underpinned by the original inspiration.

Initially, TLC was open for one afternoon a week, using rooms in the Cuddesdon Corner Family Centre. We are fortunate to have been able to continue using the Family Centre (now renamed the Leys Children's Centre) as TLC has grown, and we have developed a close working relationship with the staff team there.

TLC has grown to be a valued organisation with up to 20 volunteer counsellors who each see two or three clients per week. The holding structure allows counsellors to give their time voluntarily in a professional way, and so enable TLC to continue providing a service to people who would otherwise be unable to afford the services of a counsellor or psychotherapist.

Volunteer counsellors are drawn from a wide variety of counselling approaches and contribute fully to the running of the organisation. There are peer support groups which supplement individual supervision and work with others within the organisation.

Other volunteers serve as trustees of the registered Charity (1098571) and at our first public AGM in October 2003, we celebrated our 10th birthday and launched Friends of TLC to keep us linked with past volunteers and others who can support and encourage the work of TLC.