Support groups

There are a number of groups and organisations, both local and national, that provide advice and support to different sections of the community.

Elderly people

• Age Concern - the UK's leading charities concerned with the needs and aspirations of older people.
• Age UK - a leading national charity for older people.
• Alzheimer's Society - the Alzheimer's Society provides advice and support to people with dementia and their carers.
• Association of Retired and Persons over 50 - a social organisation for people aged 50 and up.
• Carers - for carers, voluntary organisations and others, related to the national strategy for Caring about Carers, and providing useful links.
• Contact the Elderly - seeks to reduce the isolation of older people who live alone, by providing social occasions such as monthly tea parties.
• Dementia Research Group - one of the UK's leading centres for clinical research into dementia.
• Independent Age - a charity that provides lifelong support to older people on very low incomes.

Disabled people

• AbilityNet - a charity that offers advice to people with disabilities on all aspects of computer usage for employment, communication, education, or just for fun.
• Action for Blind People - a national charity which aims to enable blind and partially sighted people to enjoy equal opportunities in every aspect of their lives through work, leisure, housing and support.
• British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) - was set up by disabled people in 1981 to promote full equality and participation within society. It is an umbrella organisation that represents some 130 organisations run and controlled by disabled people.
• Disabled Information Advice Line (DIAL) UK - DIAL provides a link to information for people with disabilities, and to advice providers.
• Disability Sport England - creates opportunities for participation in sport for people with all disabilities.
• Epilepsy Action (British Epilepsy Association) - the Epilepsy Action helpline provides advice and information on all aspects of living with epilepsy. It aims to reply to helpline queries by email within 48 hours.
• The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) - an organisation of parents, families and carers which exists to support parents in enabling their children to maximise their skills and abilities.
• Headway - promotes understanding of all aspects of brain injury and provides information, support and services to people with a brain injury, their family and carers.
• Keep Able - provides mobility and lifestyle ideas.
• MENCAP - working with people with a learning disability, and their families and carers.
• Rethink - helping everyone affected by severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, to recover a better quality of life.
• National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) - the largest UK medical charity for epilepsy. The website offers information about epilepsy and about the NSE, frequently asked questions, personal accounts of living with epilepsy, a message board and more.
• Royal Association in Aid of Deaf people (RAD) - strives to meet the individual needs of deaf children and adults and deafblind people through the provision of services and the use of RAD Centres for deaf people.
• Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) - if you need to register as blind, contact the RNIB.
• Scope - helps people with cerebral palsy to achieve equality in society.
• Vitalise - provides respite for carers and holidays for people with severe physical disabilities.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual

Please find comprehensive details of various groups and organisations on our Lesbian, gay and bisexual support groups page.