This project aims to create a fund for fledgling self help groups starting in Nottinghamshire. Groups don't need a lot of money to get going and are usually self sustaining within their first year. Having resources to advertise their meeting times and activities is essential to getting started. Finding the right group can be a life support to an isolated person facing a life changing health or social challenge on their own. We want to ensure that no self help group should fold due funding.

Self help and mutual aid acts as a solution to immediate problems, a springboard into mainstream society, a resource for more formal agencies, or as an alternative to aspects of mainstream society. There are over 15 million people living with a long term health condition in the UK. Self help groups work as a springboard, offering routes to individual empowerment, self care and management - as well as engagement into mainstream services.

We support groups to be self-reliant, resilient and retain their independence. With this project we expect to see more new groups progress to being established in the Self Help Groups Directory. This will increase awareness about the benefits of being in a self help group.