Support Groups

Event: Autism Girls & Keeping it All Inside - Presented by The Autism Girls Network and Southwark Independent Voice (SIV)

📅     Date: 14th May 2025

⏰     Time: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (90 mins)

🌐      Where: Virtual (online)

📌      Parents and carers in Southwark

🎟️      Book you place by emailing: info@southwarkiv.co.uk

This session will help to:

How to spot signs, route to diagnosis and generalised support strategies. Understand why autistic girls are often missed and their issues not validated:

• Understand the signs of an internal presentation of autism
• Understand the concept of autistic masking
• Understand the concept of autistic burnout
• Identify what being autistic means to the young person
• Build knowledge of aspects of an autistic profile that are common such as interoceptive issues and alexithymia – both can cause misunderstanding and anxiety in a school setting and it’s important that all are aware of them
• Identify what triggers dysregulation and what helps to self-regulate
• Understand sensory issues for autistic girls

Click here to download the SIV flyer ^{(docx, 121kb)}

SIV Coffee Morning: Imago (Young Carers) and Adolescent Sure Start
Date: Tuesday 6th May 2025
Time: 10am-1pm
Location: Links Community Centre, 353 Rotherhithe New Road, SE16 3HF 📌
Open to: Parents and Carers in Southwark

Join us for a relaxed coffee morning where you can meet teams from Imago (Young Carers) and Adolescent Sure Start.

• Imago (Young Carers) provides a safe space and support for siblings of children with SEND — recognising the unique role they play within the family.
• Adolescent Sure Start supports young people aged 11–19 (or up to 25 with SEND) and their families in Southwark.
• Come along to learn more about what support is available for your family.

Click here to download the SIV flyer ^{(docx, 121kb)}
Click here to visit the SIV website for full details

Join us for an informal and friendly coffee morning with Blagoje Vucinic (Mr B), Autism Post Diagnosis Support Worker from Autism Support Team.

This is an opportunity for parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder(ASD) to ask questions about the diagnosis, to discuss practical strategies for meeting the needs of your children, to meet other parents, to share information and experiences, or simply just to listen. 

Dates and locations 

Download details of dates and locations for 2024/25 here ^{(pdf, 196kb)}

Parents
Are you a parent/carer of an autistic child living in Southwark?  If so, please join our wellbeing support group ^{(pdf, 151kb)}.

Dates and times

Every other Tuesday 10:00am - 12pm

Location: Southwark Carers, 3rd Floor, Walworth Methodist Church, 54 Camberwell Road, SE5 0EN

Contact  

Telephone: 07460 399290

Email: autismvoice1@gmail.com 

Please click here for more details about Autism Voice.

The Southwark Women’s Forum is a women-only support group for those aged 18 or above who have lived experience of mental health problems and who live in Southwark.

What can I expect from this group?

You can expect a safe, supportive space for women who have experienced or are experiencing difficulty with mental health.

Our aim is to connect the community with local services and events, as well encouraging participants to connect with one another. We like to give members an opportunity for honest, open discussion with women who can share similar experiences and also a chance to feed back their views of mental health services.

When is Southwark Women’s Forum held?

The forum meets face-to-face as a group once a month on the second Friday of every month, from 12pm – 2pm in Southwark. 

How do I join?

You can register online via this link

 Further information

 Telephone 0208 159 8355 or email: informationservice@lambethandsouthwarkmind.org.uk

The Neurodiversity Family Hub provides services to Children and Young People with neurodiversity and their families, including parent/carer Coffee Mornings. 

Click here to see upcoming dates

Location: 56 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AS 

Further details of services that the Neurodiversity Family Hub provide can be found here.

For all fathers and male carers, a space for you and your child to explore and make friends.

Dates and times

Wednesdays at 10am - 11:30am

Location

Dulwich Wood Children and Family Centre, Lyall Avenue, London, SE21 8QS
 

Further details

• Download our poster ^{(pdf, 223kb)}

• Website

Melodies for Mums
Our well-established Melodies for Mums programme is expanding across Southwark and we will be hosting 6 sessions in Peckham Rye, Dulwich & Bermondsey/Rotherhithe at the Rye Oak Children’s Centre, Dulwich Wood Family Centre and Ellen Brown Children’s Centre from January 2025.

Participation for any of the programmes is FREE, and interested participants can self-refer. Participants will be asked to complete simple health & wellbeing questionnaires prior to joining.

About Melodies for Mums

Based on ground-breaking research, these weekly, 1-hour group singing sessions are designed to:

• Be a natural stress reliever
• Provide bonding opportunities with the baby
• Build confidence
• Connect with other mums or dads in similar circumstances
• Help combat symptoms of postnatal depression (both maternal and paternal)

You can listen to/ watch our MD Yvonne Farquharson talking about this programme at a recent TEDx NHS presentation earlier this autumn on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/CU7YnLJAzvs?si=lO_2fH2epGnVmYPH

To register:

For New Mums:
www.BreatheAHR.org/melodies-for-mums

Peckham:
Tuesdays at Rye Oak Children’s Centre
From January 28^th 11:45am-12:45pm OR 1:30pm – 2:30pm weekly for 10 weeks

Bermondsey/Rotherhithe:
Thursdays at Ellen Brown Children’s Centre
From January 30^th 12-1pm OR 1:45pm – 2:45pm weekly for 10 weeks

Dulwich

Fridays at Dulwich Wood Children & Family Centre

From: 31^st January 10:30am – 11:30am OR 12:15pm – 1:15pm weekly for 10 weeks

See flyer here: Melodies for Mums ^{(pdf, 1mb)}

Melodies for Dads

Breathe Melodies for Dads is a friendly, no-pressure environment where you can sing, laugh, and connect (no experience needed!) 

Our brand new programme for new fathers ‘Breathe Melodies for Dads’ started this mid-February 2025 and already we’ve had a great turnout.

About Melodies for Dads

The sessions are aimed at new fathers with babies up to 1 year old and is an hour of music-making and singing for to new dads to:

• Engage in a fun activity to help bond with their baby
• Boost wellbeing and support mental health
• Build confidence
• Be a place to connect with other new fathers

Sessions run on Saturday mornings at Ann Bernadt Children’s Centre from 10-11am with social time available at the end. From 15^th Feb for 8 weeks

When: Saturdays (10 - 11am) Feb 15th - April 5th 2025

Location: Ann Bernadt Children’s Centre, 29 Chandler Way, London SE15 6DT

For free registration: www.breatheahr.org/melodies-for-dads

Flyer: Melodies for Dads ^{(pdf, 1.3mb)}