To see if there is a support group in your area, check out the full
listing below and if there is not one in your area, please get in touch
with us discuss how we may support you. Sarah, our Family Support
Manager, can be contacted via
familysupport@fasdtrust.co.uk.
There's a new way for
everyone, and for our Support Group members in particular, to help in
fund-raising; bring along unwanted CDs and DVDs in good condition to
Support Group meetings or, if you live in the Oxfordshire area, to the
FASD Trust office. Visit our updated Donations and Fund-raising page to
learn how we can raise funds in this way, in collaboration with
musicMagpie.
Unless otherwise stated, all group events start at 11am and finish around 1pm. The whole family, including non-affected siblings, are welcome, and activities are provided for the children, though of course they remain the responsibility of their parents/guardians at all times. The events are free but donations on the day are always welcome, to help to cover costs of refreshments/travel expenses etc. And do consider becoming a Friend of the Trust; that's a great way for us all to help one another!
Birmingham and the West
Midlands
For information of forthcoming events in
Birmingham and the wider, West Midlands region, please contact us at
birmingham@fasdtrust.co.uk. The next Support Group meeting venue may
well be in Dudley. Please note that we are also planning to start a
Support Group for people in the Worcester
area (see below).
Bristol
Our most recent
event was at Cotham Parish Church on Saturday, 1st December 2012. To learn of plans for future events, or to make suggestions
or offer help, Sasha, our Bristol area coordinator, will be very pleased to hear from you via bristol@fasdtrust.co.uk.
Cambridgeshire (also
serving Bedfordshire)
Following the initial informal
Coffee Morning hosted by Brian and Maureen, future events are under
consideration; please contact
bedfordshire@fasdtrust.co.uk [See Peterborough for details of events taking place in and around that city.]
Cornwall
The
Cornwall Support Group met on the beach at Watergate Bay on Saturday, 4th August 2012. The children had great fun digging two big holes in the
sand, one for the boys and one for the girls. Thanks to Simon and Chris
who took some of the kids rock-pooling while the ladies sat in the shelter of the beach tent, drinking coffee and putting the world to rights!
If you would like to receive news of future events, or to suggest such events, please contact Sarah at
familysupport@fasdtrust.co.uk.
Cumbria
For those of you living
in Cumbria and surrounding regions, you will be delighted to learn that a
Support Group has been formed. Its first meeting took place on in November of 2012 at Carlisle East Fire Station. A second meeting was held in February of this year, and the next meeting (to be held in the same venue as the first two, namely Carlisle East Fire Station) has been arranged for Saturday, 1st June
2013, from 10.30am until 12.30pm.
[Please the date change: this event was originally planned for the previous Saturday (May 25th).]
Dates and venues are
being sourced, in the Callington & Plymouth Areas. In the
meantime, please contact Sarah at devon@fasdtrust.co.uk for more
information.
Hampshire
The group
met for Christmas festivities at Southampton Central Baptist Church on
Saturday, 8th December 2012. Our next event is now scheduled for Saturday, 6th July so please put that date in your diary. The location of this event will also be Southampton Central Baptist Church (Devonshire Road, Polygon, Southampton. SO15 2GY).
Kent
The Kent group meets in Folkestone Baptist Church, Hill Road, Folkestone, CT19 6LY. Please contact us via kent@fasdtrust.co.uk regarding future events. Dates for our next two meetings this year have been arranged: Saturday, 8th June, and Saturday, 7th September. Julia Brown, CEO of the Trust, will be taking part in the June event.
Manchester
Thanks to Julie for hosting our recent informal coffee morning; much appreciated!
Please note the following date change: the meeting that was originally scheduled for 3rd August will now take place on Saturday, 13th July, at Lyme Park; specific details to follow. For more information or to offer
suggestions or assistance at these events, please e-mail
manchester@fasdtrust.co.uk.
Norfolk
Banish
the persisting winter-like gloom by coming to our "mid Spring" party! Share in the
fun with a magician/children's entertainer - details of
date/time/location coming soon.
For more news of the
above event and of plans for future events, please contact us at
norfolk@fasdtrust.co.uk.
Oxfordshire
Our most recent
Support Group meeting took place on Saturday, 19 January 2013, at
Madley Park Hall, Witney. We also held a coffee morning at Witney Methodist Church later that month.
Call our
office on 01608 811599 or e-mail us at oxford@fasdtrust.co.uk for news
of forthcoming events.
Peterborough
This Group held a meeting on 20th April at the Fletton Centre; thanks to everyone who came along and in particular to Sarah, Brian and Maureen for all their hard work in organising the event, Everyone enjoyed the informal lunch and the chance to make friends, This event holds the record for attendance at a Support Group meeting; over 50 people were present!
Many thanks to Mary for hosting our coffee morning on April 27th. The children produced some wonderful "works of art" (lots of glue involved!), and their parents enjoyed a good natter over biscuits and coffee. Pictures to follow!
Our next two events will be:
a summer picnic at the Box Hill National Trust site. The picnic will start at 11 am on Saturday, 13th July; more details will be given nearer the date.
a meeting (11am to 1pm) on Saturday, 12th October, at Holy Trinity, Redhill.
If
you have any questions about the above events or have suggestions
for future events, please e-mail us at
surrey@fasdtrust.co.uk or Sarah at
familysupport@fasdtrust.co.uk. We look forward to contact with you and to welcoming you to the above events.
Sussex
We are currently looking at our provision in Sussex, and are looking to develop probably two groups, one in East Sussex and one in West Sussex. To register your interest or find out more, please e-mail us at sussex@fasdtrust.co.uk.
Suffolk
We are very pleased to report that we had a good meeting on April 27th. The children enjoyed playing together, and their parents appreciated the chance to chat over coffee. Sincere thanks to Linis and Louise for organising and hosting.
Two further events, which will also take place at the Village Hall in Creeting St Mary, are already planned for 2013:
"Summer Fun" (with bouncy castle!) on Saturday, 6th July
Support Group meeting on Saturday, 5th October (at which the theme will be "Education and FASD")
We held our first Support Group event on May 11th; a big thank-you to all who came along. Plans for further events are afoot. Please contact familysupport@fasdtrust to find out how those plans are progressing or to offer suggestions or help in connection with future events.
Yorkshire
Lisa, Guthrie, our Co-ordinator for the Yorkshire Support Group, is a
teacher in a secondary school, and with that background is also an invaluable part of our Education Support
Team (she wrote the Teachers Guide booklet) .
At our most recent Group event (2nd February), the children had a wonderful time sticking "googley" eyes onto felt people shapes, drawing what they wanted to be when they grow up, while the adults talked about "Growing up with FASD". The children then enjoyed playing together and having their faces painted, while their parents & carers chatted over coffee and chocolate biscuits.
The group next meets on Saturday, 4th May 2013 (10.30am to 12.30pm), when Lisa will lead a session, with activities for the whole family, on the topic of "FASD and Sensory Issues". Location is as for the Group's previous meetings, namely West
Grange Church in south Leeds. PLEASE WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING.
The August meeting is going to be a picnic in the park in Roundhay Park meeting starting at 11am; more details will be given nearer the event.
