Women Supporting Women

“Love it here”

“It is like family”

“…you can find yourself in a bubble thinking that it’s only you”

“When I came to Women Supporting Women there was no judgement which meant I didn’t have to hold back and I could speak freely. As I spoke I realised what I was thinking and feeling about my life. The staff are so accepting, friendly, not too formal. It is a safe place and felt like a weight had been lifted off me as soon as I walked in. When I attended the groups it felt good to be more myself with others and share a connection with others who were there for similar reasons to me although we never spoke directly about our issues”

Our Women Supporting Women Programme delivers trauma informed, community based groups and support with women, and women with children. Our work with mothers and carers of children aged 0-5 improves resilience in young children and increases the confidence of the mums and carers with regard to attachment, parenting, literacy, nutrition and oral health.

Using the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, we use a person centred and holistic approach to improving women’s overall health and wellbeing through a wide range of activities, clubs and workshops. These groups focus on improving wellbeing through peer support and improving confidence through connecting with other local women.

Examples of our programme include Knit and Natter, Tiny Plates – Fussy Eaters Workshops for under 5s, Outdoor Cook Club, Language Exchange, Chat Café, Granton Community Lunch in the Garden, Breastfeeding Buddies, Play Together Outdoor Adventures, Women’s Wellbeing in Nature, Women’s Gardening Club, Stay and Play, Bookbug, Baby Massage, Parents as Early Education Partners (PEEP and Baby PEEP) and the M Club. Contact us at hello@pchp.org.uk for this term’s programme or see our Facebook page for the latest information.

We continue to deliver activities changing and developing depending on the women’s needs and requests.   One example of this is that at a number of our activities, women began discussing symptoms due to menopause. The women wanted to share their experiences, learn from each other and support any women struggling with similar symptoms. We now work in partnership with She Scotland, supporting the M Club since January 2023.  These monthly evening groups held in the PCHP Community Hub have been well attended. Women have been able to link into other community groups, often in supportive roles, and many of these women have told us that it has been an incredibly useful outlet for them during a difficult, isolating and frustrating life-stage. 

Many of our groups are run outdoors in the nearby Granton Community Garden or other local greenspaces like the Granton Walled Garden.  We work alongside other community health and wellbeing professionals from time to time to deliver learning, qualifications and specific activities.

As in all our groups, food is shared. Nutritious and tasty community meals, participating in cook clubs, sharing tables and food-led learning (nutrition, weaning, reducing food waste and food related qualifications) all help to encourage connections, sharing of skills and provide regular opportunities to share affordable and delicious food. Delivering groups and activities as Drop-In sessions, along with cooking and food sharing activities gives PCHP workers and volunteers the opportunities to build relationships and offer targeted support to women, through a gateway of food to wider wellbeing and support.

These health and wellbeing initiatives for local women lead to a reduction in isolation and loneliness through increased opportunities to connect, meet other women who live locally and share experiences and increase their personal confidence and resilience.  Women often comment on what it means to them to know they are not alone, and how much the mutual understanding and support means to them.

More about our Community Wellbeing Programme can be found here.  More about current Women Supporting Women activities and events can be found on Twitter or Facebook .  

More Information

For more information please email hello@pchp.org.uk

Contact us

Sign up to our newsletter