PNI Support Groups

[v]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone had made any progress with getting support groups set up in their areas.

I was part of one, and was speaking to one of the other members today, and it made me think about a post someone had written about not being able to get one started.

Is this the norm, is it hard to find one, and we were just lucky?

Does it help that my Hv who was running the course, was an older lady who had suffered with PNI herself?

I told her about the fact some women couldn't get these support groups started and she was outraged.

I just wondered if maybe anyone could use my area as a case study to say that these groups really do work.

Thanks

Vikki

[Veritee]

Hi Vikki

On the subject of support groups. I would very much like assist people in starting these.

To do this I thought it would be a good idea first to compile a list of groups that already exist and publish these on this web site, as even I only have the details of about 5 groups in the country and it would be useful to try to get more as I am sure more exist. For instance Vikkie I do not know about the group you go to or where it is and there could be someone just down the road from your group who just does not know about it.

I get e mail enquiries all the time as to where a local support group for PNI might be so I could then pass it on and make it available on the site also - so if you know of a PNI support group please could you either post its details on this thread i.e. venue, where it meets, contact phone number, contact person, who organises it or e mail me with the details?

Secondly, I thought I would get together a word document that could be downloaded from the site of tips for starting and running such support groups:

Therefore if you have any tips, experience of how to go about starting a group, useful contacts, funding or possible grants, or simply want to tell us about your experiences, please either send this to me via e mail at [e-mail] or post it on this thread, and I will compile this into a word document that people who are thinking of starting a support group in their area can download to help them on this way.
I will include my tips in this also.

I think it does really help if a HV or someone else with access to resources ( venue, funds, supervision, training etc) also had PNI themselves. I think this may be why your area has such a group. I would like to see the situation where groups exsist whereever their is a need and it is not depend on someone in that area having a special interest in PNI.

I look forward to hearing from you all

All the best

Veritee

[hannah457]

hi vikki.
were i live does have a pni group but its only for a five week period.
so me and 3 other mums are asking our local sure start if there prepared to help fund one.
so fingers crossed.
i will let you know how it goes

hannah xx

[marion]

Does anyone know of any in the Walsall area, West Mids? Think it would really help me to go to one.
Thanks
Marion

[Babytales]

That's a great idea Veritee. That's just what I was thinking about in the other thread about this subject. With the correct information we could all mention it to our local sure start or health visitor in the hope of setting up some of these.

[hannah457]

hi all got the funding and the support for a pni group in my area.
we got it on a four week period to start with then there going to give us a permanent slot.
if everything goes OK.
i kept pestering them until they got sick of seeing me lol.
it worked wonders for me lol.
if your determined keep asking until they give in .
the more support groups we can get set up the better for us women who need the help.
is amazing what can happen if we all push enough to get what we want

love hannahxx

[cheshire]

Hi Hannah

Well done for pestering and being determined - often needed with things like this!
Good luck hunni, but look after yourself and share the load if you can..

HopefulXXXX

[yorkslass]

I have a local sure start now in the area i have moved to and I am going to see if they do a suport group if not I am going to ask if they will. ( my local one at mo is shut for moving premises for 6 weeks)

[Babytales]

I forwarded Veritee's info to my sure start rep a week ago and haven't heard anything since, plus I spoke to her about it a week and a half ago.
I have a meeting with her again in just over a week, so shall ask her then if she's had any progress. She seemed positive when I last spoke to her, but am surprised I haven't heard anything yet. No worries, I shall keep at her until I get somewhere!