February saw a new support group starting in Horley. Face2Face is a volunteer-led group of parents and carers who have a child or young person with a disability who offer friendship and support other parents of careers of children with additional needs or disabilities.

Face2Face host free, informal get-togethers giving an opportunity for parent careers to meet each other, exchange information and talk to others who understand, held at the YMCA in Horley.

GHT played a role in identifying a need for such a group in Horley (having received feedback from local patients and citizens), stimulating interest in establishing such a group (again, through both the surgeries and local community contacts), and heavily promoting the new initiative through our established communications network – including local schools, the library, local community website and Facebook pages and all of the local GP practices.

This is a great example of how GHT can support community-led responses to local unmet need, through nurturing community networks and listening.