Cuppa and chat sessions
What’s happening?
We’re running two online cuppa and chat sessions to bring together siblings who have an autistic brother or sister. It’s a great way to meet other siblings and chat about the highs and lows of sibling life with others who truly understand. You’ll come away with new strategies to support yourself as a sibling too. This is part of our Confident Caring programme, supported by the Boshier Grant Scheme and the National Lottery Community Fund (Awards for All).
Where and when?
We’re running two cuppa and chat sessions:
- Tuesday 16th July, 7pm – 8.30pm (date has now passed)
- Tuesday 24th September, 7pm – 8.30pm (date has now passed)
Online via Zoom.
Both sessions are the same, so please sign up for one or the other. We are unable to offer a sibling a place at two sessions.
Who can attend?
To join you must:
- Be aged 18 or over
- Currently live in the UK
- Have a brother or sister who is autistic (this includes Asperger Syndrome)
“Thank you so much for hosting a fabulous session this morning. I feel much more positive about my situation and knowing there are others who feel the same. It was a great boost.” – Adult sibling, previous session
What’s the cost?
It’s just £5 to attend.
- This is a fraction of the actual cost of your place. We are fortunate to be able to offer this very low ticket cost to siblings, thanks to funding from the Boshier Grant Scheme and the National Lottery Community Fund (Awards for All) which have subsidised the costs
- The fee is non-refundable under any circumstances, because of the cost to the charity of processing this, unless the event has to be cancelled by us due to reasons beyond our control
- If you’re able to, please consider making an additional donation to cover extra places for siblings in financial need
- If you’re in need of a free place, just let us know in confidence by emailing [email protected] – we do not want payment to be a barrier for siblings wishing to attend
Why should I come along?
Come to a cuppa and chat session if you’d like to meet other siblings who just ‘get’ what sibling life is like in a friendly and welcoming space. Meeting others and sharing experiences can really help you to feel more resilient, less isolated and more confident in your sibling role. It’s great to feel heard by others who truly understand. You’ll come away with new strategies to support yourself as a sibling too.
“I came into that [session] wanting to cry and left feeling upbeat and hopeful!” – Adult sibling, previous session
What can I expect?
- A friendly hello from us at Sibs!
- The chance to meet and say hello to other siblings like you – everyone will have their video on and there will be the opportunity for discussion
- We’ll talk about what it’s like to be a sibling to an autistic brother or sister and strategies for support – the positives, the challenges and everything in between!
- A confidential, sibling-only environment – no recording or screenshots, no parents or professionals
What isn’t included?
- Please note that this is a large group session and that one-to-one support cannot be provided for individual personal issues
- The session will not be recorded. This is so that siblings can feel comfortable sharing their experiences in a confidential environment
Frequently asked questions
My brother/sister has a different diagnosis, can I still come along?
“My sister has a severe learning disability, and doesn’t have a diagnosis of autism. I think I’d still benefit from attending this session. Can I come along?”
Yes. We’re very grateful to have received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund (Awards for All) to help towards the cost of providing spaces for siblings whose brother or sister has a diagnosis that isn’t autism.
I'm not a carer, can I still come along?
Yes. This session is for siblings who may have been a carer in the past, are currently carers or may be a carer in the future.
I can’t attend but I’d like to here about other sessions like this
- Make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list
- Check out our support groups for adult siblings
- Join our private Facebook community, #Siblife
I'm interested in other sessions that are part of the Confident Caring programme
We’re also running a series of information sessions on different topics across October and November:
- Inner resilience
- Behaviour that challenges
- Feeling confident with safeguarding
- Caring from a distance
- What is mental capacity?
- Advocating for your brother/sister
If you’re interested in these, click here to find out more and sign up.
I've got more questions...
We’d love to hear from you – please email [email protected]
I’m ready to book!
This event has now passed.