1. First up, the energy, time, money, and effort put into attending the meeting has to be outweighed by what the people attending get out of it. The ’good’ stuff of the meeting has to outweigh the challenges of getting there and attending.
2. Ensure the venue is easy to reach, near public transport and accessible.
3. Ensure the room is accessible and accommodates needs for hearing, vision, wheelchairs, prams, seating and space.
4. Make sure EVERYONE feels welcome – there is a warm vibe that is engendered by the leader(s) that everyone is glad that everyone else is there. You might even have a bit of décor or refreshments that add to that welcome feel – candles, nice smells, fresh air, hot drinks, soup, a ’showbag’ of notepad, pen and information sheets.
5. Sit in a circle if you can – then no one is at the head or the bottom of the table.
6. The meeting is meaningful for everyone – make sure each meeting has a set purpose.
7. Make sure EVERYONE feels they are respected and valued in the group – they have the capacity and opportunity to contribute.
8. Contribute ideas, a listening ear, a packet of biscuits, a sense of calm, a sense of motivation, a sense of fairness, a leadership role, or to keeping the group on track.
9. Make sure EVERYONE feels they can take something worthwhile away from the group –an idea, a sense of not being alone, a sense of being heard, a warm tummy, some information about where to get a service.
10. Make sure people feel supported – if someone needs transport, someone offers them a lift; if someone needs child care; someone has an idea of how to get it cheaply; if someone is sad – there is someone there to comfort them and help them feel hope for tomorrow; etc.
11. The meeting has sparked the interest of the group members – discuss a topic of interest; answer their questions, brainstorming/problem solving sessions, ’expert’ speakers.
12. The meetings are on days and at times which consider the needs of the group members such as their work, children at school, location, time
13. The meetings have a finite time; and there is a sense of something worthwhile achieved; even if it’s just good information sharing and support (your group doesn’t have to change the world), so no one gets bored or exhausted sitting attending for too long.
14. There is a leader in the group; so people feel there is someone to guide them, but the leader is a good listener and everyone feels they have a fair go. Everyone feels equal.
15. A leader must tactfully re-direct people who are getting off-track or who are dominating the conversation or are obviously talking about things that are not relevant at that time.
16. Be mindful of the ’elephant in the room’. Our human tendency is to think “my situation is better/worse” than others. Remember we are all here to support each other, no matter what our situations.
17. Finish on a positive note, so people go away feeling good / better than when they arrived.
Useful links:
The Community Tool box has some good ideas: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/enhancing-support/peer-support-groups/main
More ideas can be found on the Association of Contextual behavioural Science website:
