If your kinship peer support group is going to meet in person, it should be somewhere easy to access and welcoming. This section will help you find a venue that works for your group.
Section 3C: Naming your kinship peer support group
Naming your kinship peer support group is important. How are other kinship carers going to find you, or know who your group is for? This section will help you decide on the right name for your group and the kinship carers who will attend.
Getting the group name right
Why is the name of a peer support group so important?
We now live in a world with lots of local or online groups available and events to sign up to. Whether it’s promoted on social media or through posters or leaflets at a GP surgery, people need to quickly decide if something is relevant to them (or someone they know).
This is where a group name is really important.
Below you’ll find useful things to think about when naming your group so other kinship carers know they’ll be welcome.
Naming your kinship peer support group
Meet Rachael, one of the team at Kinship. She shares some tips of things to think about when choosing a name for your peer support group.
Duration: 45 secs
The structure of a peer support group name
Your groups name needs to tell people exactly what kind of group you run. Choose a name that reflects where you are based and what you are doing. A useful layout might be:
[Place or location] Kinship Support Group – [who it’s for if it’s for a specific group]
For example:
- Newquay Kinship Support Group
- Birmingham Kinship Support Group – Grandparents or over 60s
- Brighton Kinship Support Group – LGBT+
The structure above is just a guide. Here are some examples from existing groups that use the suggestions above in different ways:
- Peterborough Kinship Carers Group
- South Sheffield Kinship Group
- Family & Friends Carers – Kinship Milton Keynes
Using the word ‘kinship’
As a kinship peer support group, you want to reach out to as many kinship carers as possible. But, there are carers who may not know or use the term ‘kinship’ or ‘kinship carer’.
When you promote your group online or locally, it’s a good idea to include a description of who a kinship carer is, so carers know that your group is right for them.
Our definition is: A kinship carer is someone who is raising a relative’s or friend’s child.
Feel free to use this for your group promotion if helpful.
Is your group one of a kind?
It’s worth checking online on our group finder to make sure that there isn’t already a group using the name you’ve selected. You don’t want to find your group confused with another.
Use an internet search to see what comes up when you type in your group name.
If you find another group with your chosen name, or one that sounds similar, it’s worth exploring another option. You might also want to reach out to the other group to see if it’s still running, or if they could promote your group too if it’s relevant.
Other support from Kinship
Here at Kinship, we offer a range of free support for all kinship carers, including workshops, online advice and information, and peer support groups.
Contact our advice service to speak to an adviser or book an appointment.