Support Groups
Please see below for dates of upcoming coffee mornings and other support group sessions where you can meet, chat and share experiences.
You can also find more information about various support groups and services in Southwark here.
Southwark's Autism Support Team are excited to invite parents and families of Autistic children to their upcoming coffee morning to celebrate World Autism Acceptance Month.
Event Highlights
- Connect with other parents of Autistic children
- Meet the Autism Support Team
- Free tea, coffee and biscuits!
Find out what local services are available to you and your child Southwark Register your interest Get advice from a range of professionals Get ideas for how best to support and advocate for your child
Date: Wednesday 2nd April 2025, 9:30-11:30am
Where: Crampton Primary School Iliffe St, London SE17 3QA
Registration: Please click here to register
Download a flyer (pdf, 437kb)
Resources for Autism invite you to a Southwark parent’s coffee morning.
All families are welcome to relax, enjoy coffee and cake, and chat about autism with other parents, share stories and feel at home with people who understand.
Where: The Coffee Shop @ The Park College, 5 Kennington Park Place, SE11 4AS
Who: Parents/carers of autistic children/young people in Southwark/Lewisham aged 16-25 years old
Our autism and behaviour specialist will be providing practical support and advice and discussions on our focus topic ‘Communication barriers in autism’
Book your place by emailing nazia@resourcesforautism.org.uk or to complete a referral form at www.resourcesforautism.org.uk
Where: Lewisham hub First floor, The Fellowship Inn, Randlesdown Road, SE6 3BT
Who: For parents/carers of autistic children/young people in Southwark/Lewisham
Our autism specialist family practitioner Silvia and Nazia will be providing practical support and advice and discussions on our focus topic ‘Sensory processing needs of an individual with autism’
Book your place by emailing nazia@resourcesforautism.org.uk . To access our services, complete a referral form at www.resourcesforautism.org.uk
Looking forward to welcoming you all soon.
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
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Download our poster (pdf, 223kb)
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 28th 11:45am-12:45pm OR 1:30pm – 2:30pm weekly for 10 weeks
Bermondsey/Rotherhithe:
Thursdays at Ellen Brown Children’s Centre
From January 30th 12-1pm OR 1:45pm – 2:45pm weekly for 10 weeks
Dulwich
Fridays at Dulwich Wood Children & Family Centre
From: 31st 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 15th 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)