Support Groups Addressing Loneliness for Women

Womens Health Matters empowers women and girls from Leeds’ most disadvantaged communities to reduce inequalities. With Foundation support, they were able to provide weekly support sessions for women separated from their children.

• Could you give us a brief description of your project and its main aim?

Rosebuds is a weekly group for women who live apart from their children.  It was set up to help the women overcome the loneliness and isolation felt when their children have been removed from their care.  Given the nature of the women’s situations, it is very difficult for them to talk about the overwhelming grief and loss they feel.

These feelings are coupled with deep shame and fear of judgement from those around them. This can keep the women locked into the loneliness with few opportunities to talk about their loss or what led to their loss.

• What’s the need and what might be the situation if the support you offer didn’t exist?

The support the women receive and offer each other in the group is wonderful to see.  Whenever we have people come into the group, they remark on the level of support offered by the women.

The impact of shame and loneliness on a person is huge and can lead to a life of mental health problems, trapped in the cycle with no way out. Rosebuds helps the women understand their loss and find ways to manage this and look forward.

• What has this kind of support allowed you to do? Who have you been able to support?

The project has been an absolute lifeline for the women. We meet weekly, for two hours. During the sessions the women get the chance to talk about how they are with women who understand their situation. For most of them, it’s the only time in the week someone asks how they are and listens to their answer.

We do lots of wellbeing activities, leaving them with something they have made that they can use outside of the group sessions. It’s important for them to remind themselves of what they are capable of, what they can achieve.

• Could you share a rewarding moment you’ve had during this period?

At an event, “Alice” stood up in front of over 80 people and spoke about her experiences of loss and finding her place again. She couldn’t stop shaking, but she really wanted to share how the group had changed her.

In that moment she readjusted her thoughts on who she is and what she is capable of. She literally became a new person in her mind. Since then she has ended an abusive relationship and started counselling. She now knows that her future hasn’t already been decided, that she can change it, and she is.