coffee mornings
Coffee mornings are run collaboratively by PaCC and Amaze and take place during term times.
PaCC coffee mornings are a place to:
- Meet other parent carers
- Support one another and share information
- Empower parent carers to champion their children’s rights, needs & well-being, from age 0 to 25
- Have a cuppa and a chat in a supportive and confidential environment
- Find out about services and support available for you and your family in Brighton and Hove
- Meet professionals who are involved on delivering services for your children
The coffee mornings are open to all parents and carers of children with additional and support needs. If you have friends who have children with additional needs, they are welcome too. Meet other parents for a cuppa, some chat and two very supportive groups!
PaCC runs two monthly coffee mornings (term time only)
The Sunflower Support Group coffee morning, for parent carers who live in Moulsecoomb, Bevendean, Coldean and Whitehawk, takes place on the 2nd Thursday of the month. We meet from 9:30 to 11:30 am at The Bevy in Bevendean. Upcoming sessions:
- Thursday 11th April – no coffee morning (Easter holidays)
- Thursday 9th May – Online Safety
- Thursday 13th June – coffee morning tbc
The Hangleton & Knoll Parent Carers coffee morning, for parent carers who live in Hangleton & Knoll, takes place on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. We meet at St Richards’ Church and Community Centre in Hangleton & Knoll. Upcoming sessions:
- Currently no coffee mornings take place in Hangleton & Knoll
You don’t need to live in those areas to attend the coffee mornings. Please contact Paolo at [email protected] or call 07484 051753 if you would like to receive an invite to one of the coffee mornings or to find out more about this support.
We will continue to be with you, listen to your worries and your daily stories. We will be able to refer you to Amaze SENDIASS or other services, if you need some specific advice and/or support.
We are also keen on recording any recurrent issue or problem so that the Parent Carers’ Council (PaCC) can represent you when attending meeting with Local Authority or other service providers.
What's so great about our coffee mornings?
Coffee mornings are an opportunity for parent and carers who live in Brighton and Hove to get together in a safe and supportive environment, find out more about services available in the city and meet professionals who plan and/or deliver services in the city.
The idea for the coffee mornings came to life around July 2012 when they were originally called the Partnership Outreach Pilot for Parents/Carers or POPP. Coffee mornings were organised in two neighbourhoods, Hangelton & Knoll and Moulsecoomb & Bevendean in partnership with the local Trust for Developing Communities or TDC. POPP aimed to:
- Increase the use of Amaze services by families who were more isolated
- For parents and carers to be more confident and resilient to cope, less isolated, more informed and empowered
- To increase Compass registrations and as a result parents and carers to benefit from financial savings, increase their wellbeing and feel part of a community
- To support establishment of new parent and carer support groups
- To enable parents and carers to feed into relevant consultations affecting their families
The success of the pilot made possible the consolidation of the coffee mornings into Community Outreach Project or COP.
Each coffee morning focuses on different topics which are decided by the participants. During the past years we looked at wellbeing and how parent carers can look after themselves, the reshaping of wellbeing services, the merging of the special schools in Brighton & Hove and Education, Health and Care Plans.
Where and when
We hold our coffee mornings at several locations.
- Moulsecoomb, Bevendean and Whitehawk: the Sunflower Support Group coffee morning takes place every 2nd Thursday of the month at The Bevy, in Bevendean.
- Hangleton & Knoll: the Hangleton & Knoll Parent Carer Group coffee morning takes place every 3rd Tuesday of the month at St Richards Church and Community Centre. The coffee mornings are delivered in partnership with The Hangleton & Knoll Project / TDC
If you want to find out more about coffee mornings please email Paolo at [email protected] or call 07484 051753.
For regular updates you can also join the PaCC Facebook page where dates for the coffee mornings are posted regularly.