In mid-October I attended the East End Trades Guild 'meet the members' event. The event took place in a former industrial unit in Hackney Wick, which is an area that used to have a lot of that type of space.

Speakers told the assembled group at the event about what they'd been doing to further the cause of community business development. For example, they were working to find spaces for local small businesses. Other speakers talked about the growth of their own companies, and how it felt to form connections with others in similar situations.

The main aspect of the event that was meaningful to me was the opportunity to connect with other professionals from a range of backgrounds. As a self-employed counsellor, it falls on me to form professional links with other people. This helps to combat the sense of isolation that is part of the work of the self-employed counsellor. Put another way, if I don't make the effort to go out and meet people, it is very unlikely that another professional will seek me out.

There are many counsellors in London, and as students complete their training, that number continues to grow. Representation in the field happens primarily via voluntary ethical bodies, such as NCPS and BACP. Opportunities to meet other therapists can be rare. This could be because of the nature of the one-to-one client-facing work. It could also be because therapists tend to be people who prefer to work alone.

Besides the above, life in London can be isolating. This is the case even though you are surrounded by millions of people. This is one of the paradoxes of urban life.

At the event, I had many conversations with professionals who ranged from brewers, to business development professionals, to specialists in bags. Those chats may have been brief, but they were all a break from the typical solitude of working as a therapist. They were all valuable to me.

Because the event took place in Hackney, there were breweries and good food involved. I took the opportunity to sample a range of different offerings from producers; I enjoyed vegan food and independently-made beer.

Finding a sense of community in London is not always an easy thing, because the pace of life can seem fast, and people come and go for a plethora of reasons. Having spent several years as part of the independent music scene, during which time I would organise gigs, play in bands, and put up touring bands. I appreciate the value of community, and the value of supporting artists and small businesses.

In 2003 I worked for charity that supported youth work charities with funding, which brought me back to my experience of working in the voluntary sector with people who care about where they live. I found the passion and drive of the people who ran those small charities to be inspiring, and a far cry from how many people perceive their draining work lives inside of big organisations.

Being back in Hackney Wick was important to me as I lived there for a decade from the early 2000s, while the area underwent an era of profound change. There are fewer industrial spaces now, and gentrification has made parts of the area unrecognisable. Yet there continues to be a sense of community and connection among the inhabitants. There are now many independent retailers and other facilities, including the sauna and lending library.

My final thoughts on this experience relate to organisation. Organising things is often a thankless task, but it is only through that activity that things can change for the better. Our society tries to convince us that we are self-sufficient units, dependent only upon ourselves, consumer products and lifestyle choices. History shows us that many of the things that matter most, whether we are talking about the creation of a socialised healthcare system, paid holiday or welfare benefits, have come from the struggles that have been organised by ordinary people. The Trades Guild represent a localised effort to develop a small part of society in ways that offer support and positivity, and for this I am grateful.