Support Groups

• has or has had an eating disorder.
• thinks they may have an eating disorder.
• has a challenging relationship with food or their body.
• supports a person with an eating disorder. 

Please feel free to bring a friend or family member if it would help you feel more at ease. We are here to provide a safe environment and offer support. Any companions will be welcome to join in the session or they can wait outside where there will be refreshments available for them.

When you arrive, one of our two qualified facilitators will be there to welcome you. You will be offered refreshments while we wait for all the attendees to arrive. The facilitators will take you through to the Gallery where the group takes place. Once everyone has arrived, we will start with some brief introductions.

Our Self-help Support Group is user-led. In each session, the discussion will vary depending on who is attending and what they are bringing to the session. This also means that you will always have an opportunity to discuss what is important to you. We are not here to judge you and the safe and confidential setting may enable you to discuss things you feel unable to share elsewhere.

You might just want to ask for information or for some advice or share your experience with others. You may just need to offload or speak about a difficult experience you have had. We want to give you the feeling of empowerment and a sense of community, whilst letting you know that you are not alone.

Our members have found this form of support helpful when used on a regular basis but there is no obligation to attend every month. It is completely up to you.

SWEDA has always recognised the value of peer support. We find that when people come together to support one another, the journey to recovery becomes ever more achievable.

Why don’t you come along?

We have carried out a thorough risk assessment of our premises in line with Government Guidelines and have tried very hard to ensure our premises are COVID-secure. If you or any member of your close family are showing signs of Coronavirus symptoms, please do not come to the SWEDA premises.

• 7.00pm to 8.30pm
• Held at our premises in Shepton Mallet
• No cost for this service
• Free parking on Park Road, just outside Harvest Court (free after 6pm)

Our online group will also meet (via Zoom) on the third Wednesday of every month. If you would like more information about the online group, please get in touch online or call 01749 343344.

• provide peer support in an eating disorder informed environment.
• build an effective support network with group members and facilitators.
• bring together friends and family members of people with eating disorders.
• allow participants to have a voice and feel understood.
• allow participants to share helpful coping strategies.
• help group members to feel more empowered.
• provide a sense of community and a safe space for discussion.

Our Family and Friends Support Group is user-led. This means that topics and the general course of discussion may change depending on the needs of members of the group. No one will be judged and everyone is encouraged to share their experiences in a safe and confidential setting.

We hope that the group experiences a sense of empowerment and community through attendance. Many members attend on a regular basis to get the maximum benefit but there is no obligation to do this. 

SWEDA has always recognised the value of peer support and understands that recovery is more easily achieved when people have a support network they can rely on. 

Why don’t you come along?

We have a limited number of places available. Please get in touch if you would like to book a space.

Meetings take place on the first Thursday of every month at 7pm to 8pm.

There is no cost for this service.