HealthMakers peer support and self-management
We offer both peer support and structured self-management courses and workshops to help you learn essential skills to better manage your health and wellbeing.
Read our About HealthMakers guide (pdf)
We offer 3 types of support. All of these are currently online-only.
- Online Pop-in Cafés, our peer-support meetings run two times per week
- Introduction to Self-Management course, which is our instructor-led 3-session group course
- Self-Management Course (SilverCloud) is a modular computer program you work through by yourself, with guidance from an allocated support worker
You can find more details about our support in the following menus.
See our HealthMakers poster (pdf)
Supporting services
We work closely with our Wellbeing Service and Talking Therapies Service, as well as self-care and prevention services across East Berkshire.
Our HealthMakers volunteers will listen to you and offer peer support and advice on other appropriate services for your situation. They can support you to self-refer or assist with the referral to other services if we think it will help.
Visit our Wellbeing Service page
Visit our Talking Therapies website (opens new browser tab)
Our café sessions are similar to Zoom or Team calls. They’re a safe and friendly place for you to share your experiences, and receive guidance and build your confidence in self-management skills.
Each session is 1 hour long, but you can join and leave as you wish.
You will be welcomed by our volunteer host, who will ask the group for topics to discuss.
Sessions are generally free flowing and very social, as attendees share their opinions on how to support each other.
How the session may help you
People who attend regularly have told us that even if they only attend once per month, they feel that socialising with the group has played a big role in their self-care
- You can talk openly about your experience, in a supportive environment with others who may have gone through the same challenges
- All conversations are confidential
- Opportunity to build a support network
- Freedom to attend as often as you like
Please be aware that this is not a therapeutic event, and a clinician will not be on the call.
Book your place
These sessions are open to anyone living in East Berkshire, and take place each week:
- Every Tuesday at 1.30pm
- Every Thursday at 11am
You can sign up by emailing us.
Please include your full name, contact phone number, email address, the name of the East Berkshire GP practice you are registered with and your NHS number.
We provide you with the link and passcode to attend.
You don’t need to be referred by a GP to access HealthMakers, but you do need to be registered with a GP in East Berkshire.
Our SilverCloud course expands on our group ISM course, by providing more detail around self-management skills.
SilverCloud is our online computer-based training system.
Our course is split into four modules, that you can work through at your own pace. You will have around 8 weeks to complete the course.
This course provides a more detailed understanding of the self-management skills than the ISM group course teaches.
It includes understanding what self-management is, how to challenge unhelpful thoughts, improving communication, and becoming a resourceful self-manager.
How the session may help you
This course is perfect if you prefer to work alone, or you can’t attend the group course times.
You will be able to save your own notes within your program and message the support worker with any queries during your progress.
Book your place
We provide you with the details to register for the online course content.
A support worker will contact you to check you are able to access the program and explain how to use it.
You don’t need to be referred by a GP, but you do need to be registered with a GP in East Berkshire.
You can sign up by emailing us.
Please include your full name, contact phone number, email address, the name of the East Berkshire GP practice you are registered with and your NHS number.
Email HealthMakers@berkshire.nhs.uk
Call 0300 365 2000 (option 2) and leave a message and we will contact you.
While we can offer support around issues affecting your mental health and emotional wellbeing, we’re not a specialist mental health service.
If we think it will help you, we may guide you to one of our mental health services.
You can contact our community mental health services if you need urgent mental health support.
Visit our webpage for information on accessing mental health support
You don’t need to be referred by a GP to access HealthMakers.
We're available for contact Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
Email HealthMakers@berkshire.nhs.uk
Request a callback call 0300 365 2000 (option 2) and we will get in touch
Become a HealthMaker
We’re looking for new HealthMakers Volunteers to join our team to share your own experiences, encourage and support others to self-manage their health and wellbeing.
You need to be over 18 and able to role model good self-management.
For our face-to-face volunteering roles, you must live in East Berkshire, or be registered with a GP in East Berkshire which includes Ascot, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Sandhurst, Slough, and Windsor.
For our online volunteering roles, it doesn't matter where you live in Berkshire.
