A Touch of Gentleness Celebrates its Third Anniversary

As a Counsellor and Therapist, Helen Prosper has spent thirty years developing her techniques and training to bring human connection to the forefront. A Touch of Gentleness shows us a way to safely bring the healing power of touch and gentleness back into our lives.

The seeds for A Touch of Gentleness were sown during lockdown when Helen sat in her garden asking herself, ‘What does the world need right now? What can I do?’. The word Gentleness came to her and echoed in her mind, over and over. Much as she tried, she could not ignore it. This was her calling.

As soon as we were allowed to do so, Helen picked up her camping stool, took a deep breath, and went to the seafront. Not knowing what to expect, she set up with a simple sign offering free hand massages.

That was where the moment happened that changed everything for her. Not that proof was what she needed, but here it was.

In the shape of a man, weathered by life, his whole posture guarded and shy, he sat down with Helen and offered his rough hands to her. As she gently began the massage, Helen could feel the tension he carried along his arms, the unspoken stories written into his skin. 

Halfway through, he looked up with tears in his eyes and said, “No one has touched me in years.”

That moment struck Helen deeply. How many other people are starving for connection, gentleness, and a moment of being truly seen? This confirmed what she already knew—human touch is not a luxury. It is essential. It heals. It reminds us that we matter.

But as she sat there, offering touch and her calming presence to strangers, she also realized that she needed to seek others who felt the same; she could not do this alone. Helen was certain that the need was too great. 

And so, A Touch of Gentleness began….

Helen developed a training plan, which hundreds of people have since received free of charge, many of whom have become devoted volunteers. The training is completely free and teaches people the importance of gentle touch for our minds, bodies, and souls, enabling them to take and share this message. Every day, volunteers gift beautiful arm and hand massages while listening with deep awareness. 

Connecting in this uncomplicated way, through our hands, is a sincere form of communication. It means so much, and we all remember how gentle touch makes us feel.

As a rapidly growing Community Interest Company, we now regularly volunteer with sixty different organisations around East Sussex. Helen has brought together a community of caring and generous volunteers who are collectively taking action to create a more compassionate world.

“10,267 people have received ‘a touch of gentleness’ between April 2022 (the first official training) and March 2025”

A Touch of Gentleness

Hand massages are simply the tip of the iceberg. They are the visible, tangible, measurable elements, but beneath what is visible lies the intangible. Of course, anyone can learn to give a hand massage. Google it, and you’ll find a YouTube video. 

But not everyone can truly give ‘A Touch of Gentleness’ and there are so many reasons for this.

It is the infusion of gentleness within, combined with the listening ear of someone who desires to understand rather than judge, that makes what we offer so much more than a hand massage. 

Three years after Helen started teaching her technique, she has a fast-growing community interest company—not for profit, for the common good. Free one-day training sessions are available to anyone who would like to learn a new skill, share it with others, and join a thriving co-operative network.

As individuals giving hand massages, we could never achieve more than a simple ‘hand count.’ But as a community offering ‘A Touch of Gentleness,’ we can collectively weave this web and help create a new, more compassionate, generous, and gentle culture.

Let’s raise a toast to celebrate all the magic that has already happened since Helen created a reason to sit together and feel better together. Its simplicity is powerful, and the impact on yourself and others will surprise you. I invite you to join us. Let’s dare to dream of what, together, we can still create.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

Words: Marty Biggs

A Touch of Gentleness