Support Group Roundup

By Stacey Foster, Support Group Coordinator

Happy New Year everyone!

This year is already gearing up to be a big one. There are several Support Group visits planned, most of them in our regional areas.

The Parkinson’s NSW team is looking forward to visiting you, learning how your Support Groups run and sharing the latest news about Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s NSW. If you would like us to visit your Support Group this year, please let me know.

The major event on the Support Group calendar this year is the Support Group Leaders Conference in Sydney on 2 April. Leaders from 75 Support Groups are invited to come together to connect, share ideas and hear from guest speakers about volunteering and effective leadership.

This will be the first leaders conference since 2019, so it is very overdue, and we are looking forward to seeing our Leaders there!

April is also Awareness Month and this is a time where Support Groups like to consider how they’d like to raise Parkinson’s awareness in their local community. Last year, groups participated in information stalls outside their local supermarkets, held high teas and art exhibitions, and ran an information expo, just to name a few.

If you would like to get involved this year, have a chat with your fellow participants and support group leader. The team at Parkinson’s NSW also likes to support these events, so if you’d like us to attend, please don’t hesitate to reach out (with plenty of notice!).

I’m looking forward to a fabulous 2025 with you all.