What Are the Best Tips for Starting a Support Group?

Some of the most helpful tips for starting a support group include those that recommend making sure you are ready for such a serious commitment and finding a backup person for times when you cannot attend or organize the meetings. You may also benefit from helpful tips for securing a suitable location, such as in a church, synagogue, library, or community center, and ensuring that it is close to your home or place of business. Additionally, tips for starting a support group that involve seeking help with your new project can be beneficial.

One of the best tips for starting a support group is to think carefully about the commitment you are planning to make. When you start a support group, the members you attract will depend on you to run the group as planned and put time and effort into keeping it going. While this doesn't mean you can never change your mind and choose not to participate, it does mean that members may expect you to secure a new leader in the event you do change your mind. Additionally, you might consider asking someone you trust to serve as a backup person in the event that you are temporarily unable to fulfill your commitments.

Carefully considering the location also is important when starting a support group. You may decide that the best location is one that is close to your home or place of business. This way, you can get to meetings without having too much of a struggle in bad weather or when traffic is congested. This might prove especially important if your meetings will require a good deal of preparation or on days when you feel less motivated.

Among the places you might consider for your support group meetings are churches and other religious buildings or community centers. Some libraries also have rooms you can request for your meetings. If the subject matter of your support group does not call for a high level of privacy, you could also consider meeting in a local coffee shop or bookstore that has plenty of gathering space. Some people also hold meetings in residences, but whether or not this will prove a good choice for you may depend on the size of the group and how comfortable you and the other group members will feel in such a personal meeting space.

Another tip for starting a support group involves enlisting the help of others. The fact that you have come up with an idea to start a support group doesn't necessarily mean you have to do everything yourself. If you can find other people who are willing to help with your startup plans, the burden of the work you face may prove easier to handle. Additionally, any helpers you find might prove willing to assist with related monetary costs or offer good ideas for making the new support group a success.