Self-help groups as a route to empowerment

Abstract

Self-help groups have been described as one of the great voluntary sector success stories in recent years. Yet it is not a co-ordinated development. People are rarely aware either of being part of a movement or of the concepts that underlie this special type of voluntary group when they set out on their self-help journey. This chapter sets out to explore what self-help groups are and do, and their benefits as members see them. Its sources come from the work of the Nottingham Self-Help Team over 12 years, and a recent research project in the Trent Region on self-help groups and professionals. The values and roles of the Team, and the definition it uses are summarized. The challenging nature of self-help and the question of support to self-help groups are discussed. Finally, the constraints which hold back the development of self-help are reviewed before reflecting on the extent to which self-help groups are a route to empowerment.