How it all began
The charity’s journey began when a local health professional, diagnosed with terminal cancer, sought connection with others experiencing similar circumstances. She approached the Development Worker at Nottingham Council for Voluntary Service (NCVS). Despite receiving comprehensive medical treatment and support, she desired peer connection. A radio appeal followed, prompting individuals to reach out. This initiative revealed approximately 60 existing support groups addressing various health and life experiences. Recognising the need for specialised assistance, the groundwork was laid for a service that would both map existing groups and support the development of new ones.
Key milestones
1982 – Judy Wilson identified a need for self help group support in Nottingham and established ‘The Self Help Groups Project’ as a pilot, employing two part-time workers. The first directory of self help groups was published.
1984 – The project expanded and became ‘The Self Help Team’, based at NCVS.
1986 – Judy Wilson’s book, ‘Self Help Groups – Getting Started, Keeping Going’, was published, and the sixth edition of the self-help groups directory was produced.
1991 – The General Dispensary established a dedicated fund for self help groups, resulting in 17 successful grant applications.
1992 – The Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded a two-year research project focusing on good practice between self help groups and professionals.
1994 – Nottingham hosted the national conference ‘Action for Self Help’. Local media reported, “When it comes to self help, Nottingham is setting an example for the rest of the country, according to an influential think tank.”
1997 – The organisation became an independent charity and company limited by guarantee, named ‘Self Help Nottingham’, and launched its first website.
1998 – The charity relocated to city centre premises, enhancing accessibility. Lottery grants and local business support facilitated office refurbishment.
2005 – The first intranet directory of self help groups was produced for Nottingham City Primary Care Trust.
2009 – Self Help Nottingham represented the UK at the Self Help European Experts Meeting in Berlin.
2010 – A chapter on self help, authored by Caroline Bell and Joan Cook, was published in the book ‘Voice for Experience’. The annual self help groups directory continued production. Self Help Nottingham began a three year joint research project with Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Nottingham, ‘ESTEEM’ (effective support for self help/mutual aid groups). Funded by the Big Lottery, researchers studied best practices for supporting local self help groups.
2011 – Self Help Nottingham won the ‘Nottingham Social Enterprise of the Year’ award.
The Recovery Network project began, funded by the Drug and Alcohol Action Team.
2012 – Self Help Nottingham participated in developing the Healthwatch model, addressing diverse local needs.
2013 – A national division, ‘Self Help Connect’, was launched to expand services nationally.
2015 – The charity rebranded as ‘Self Help UK’, with a new logo, reflecting its national scope and ambitions. The Beyond Diagnosis project, in partnership with Macmillan, began, providing emotional and practical support to people affected by cancer. The Macmillan Insight project ran from 2015-2016, identifying self help and support activities for people affected by cancer in Nottinghamshire.
2016 – The Early Diagnosis project began, promoting bowel cancer screening to enable early diagnosis.
2017 – The Tandem project launched in Derby, supporting individuals with long term conditions who felt isolated and helped them to get more active in their community. Self Help UK hosted the 14th European Experts’ Meeting, with delegates from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, and Norway attending and encouraging international knowledge sharing.
2018 – Macmillan funded the Deaf Cancer Support Project, addressing the lack of dedicated services for Deaf people experiencing cancer, particularly those who use British Sign Language.
2020 – The Deaf Cancer Support project expanded online nationally. The Macmillan Gateway Project expanded the Beyond Diagnosis Project, merging to offer holistic person-centred support to anyone affected by cancer within Nottinghamshire.
2021 – The National Lottery Community Fund awarded Self Help UK funds to develop the Learning Centre.
2022 – NHS partnerships were established in cancer care, developing NUH Prehab Service Link Worker and Primary Care Network Cancer Care Coordinator roles. The Deaf Cancer Support service expanded, offering digital and in-person support across the UK.
2023 – The Self Help UK Learning Centre officially launched, providing online courses, specialist training, support and community. The Beyond Diagnosis service was awarded the Macmillan Professionals Excellence ‘Whatever It Takes’ Award, recognising achievements in providing person-centred holistic care. The Prehab Link Worker service in partnership with the Prehabilitation Service for Cancer Patients at City Hospital, Nottingham won 2 awards at the annual PENNA awards: Partnership Working to Improve the Experience and Personalisation of Care.
2024 – The Deaf Cancer Support Project was shortlisted for the Macmillan Professionals ‘Innovation’ award. The project also joined Deaf Lottery UK – a weekly lottery raising money for Deaf organisations in the UK. The Beyond Diagnosis Service were finalists at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Health and Care Awards 2024.
