Where We Start Community Parenting Group

Where We Start is a not-for-profit project built on a simple belief: a child’s wellbeing is never separate from the people and environment around them. Too often, children’s mental health is treated in isolation, the focus falls on the child, while the parents and carers holding everything together are left without support of their own.

We want to change that. Our vision is to build a genuine network of support around children and families in Walthamstow, one that values lived experience as much as professional knowledge, and is shaped by the community it serves. We’re starting with parents and carers, because they’re the foundation a child depends on, and they deserve support too.

About our groups

These are not parenting classes. There’s no curriculum and no assumption that anyone’s doing it wrong. They’re a space for parents and carers, particularly those whose children are experiencing or have experienced mental health difficulties. The invitation is to come together and share your experiences and knowledge.

Each group is facilitated by experienced, qualified mental health professionals who are there to take part, sharing their own knowledge alongside everyone else’s. We strongly believe that lived experience and professional knowledge sit side by side. Both are essential, and neither is enough on its own.

Raising a struggling child can be isolating. These groups are about changing that. They’re about reducing isolation, building connection, and making sure no one has to face these challenges alone.

With support from:

and: