Get Me Out The Four Walls
Get Me Out The Four Walls offers peer support and informal social meets for parents and carers, living in Norfolk and Suffolk to overcome social isolation. Our informal social meets are organised by our team of volunteer Ambassadors.
We offer support through information, advice, and guidance. We utilise the local network of voluntary sector and professional organisations to signpost parents and carers towards additional support
Get Me Out The Four Walls was created to ensure that no mother, father or carer feels alone and isolated at home after the birth of their children. By creating informal social meets, we aim to give as many people the opportunity to escape their house and meet others which we believe helps prevent the on-set of perinatal mental illnesses such as postnatal depression and helps aid stabilisation of mental health.
We also strive to support parents that are struggling with a mental illness by offering peer support and social meets delivered by our friendly non-judgemental Ambassadors.
Many parents experience social isolation after birth, leading to poor mental health. Perinatal mental health problems occur during pregnancy or in the first 24 months following the birth of a child. Perinatal mental health affects up to 27% of new and expectant mums and covers a wide range of conditions.
Perinatal mental health problems can be brought on by experiences and factors such as the experience of a traumatic pregnancy and childbirth, history of metal health problems, or lack of support. Perinatal mental health problems can sometimes go under the radar because of feelings of shame, embarrassment and fear of the consequences.
Perinatal mental health is treatable and has a good response rate with early intervention. 70% of mums hide their problems from professionals. Peer support is vital to identify issues and signpost where necessary.
Support from our carefully recruited volunteers has proven to have clear benefits to the wellbeing of mothers, fathers, partners and babies.
Parents are not only the ones to benefit however; volunteers frequently describe their volunteering experience as ‘life changing’.
Get Me Out The Four Walls aims to connect and support parents in the community by:
- Hosting social meets for parents and carers to meet with others in community areas such as coffee shops, parks, zoo’s and soft play centres.
- Offering online provisions for those who may struggle with anxiety or who are socially isolated, to connect with parents and receive support virtually.
- The GMOTFW Hub, based in Lakenham, but open to the Norwich and Norfolk wide community, offers a safe, welcoming space for parents to connect with others, with peer support available for those experiencing poor mental health.
The GMOTFW ethos is and always has been to offer an inclusive experience for all. We understand how scary it can be as a new parent to reach out for help or even go along to a mainstream setting such as a playgroup.
We are there to help parents every step of the way, welcoming them into our meets with a friendly smile and an ear to listen! All of our Ambassadors are parents themselves, many of which have experienced mental illnesses and anxieties of their own, offering the “lived in” experience that can make parents feel at ease.
All of our volunteers complete adult and child safeguard training and have undergone an enhanced DBS check for your comfort and safety.
All of our meets and events are published on the meets programme section of the website.
Please check our News section of the website for the latest updates on our Charity.