PARENTS IN SOUTH NORFOLK! 
We are excited to be popping over to some of South Norfolk’s beautiful parks to meet with parents in their local areas!We will be coming along:
Thursday 6th July – Costessey Library Play Park
Thursday 13th July – Poringland Community Centre Park
Thursday 20th July – Fairway Play Park, Queens Hill
Thursday 27th July – Hempnall Village Hall Park
No need to book – just pack up some lunch and turn up. Children of all ages welcome. This is a great way to meet parents in your local area as well as learning about GMOTFW and our service.
For more information on these meets, please see the events tab our Get Me Out The Four Walls Norfolk group and hit “going” if you’ll be coming along. Feel free to invite friends too!
Thanks to Norfolk Community Foundation and The Geoffrey Watling Charity for their support allowing us to reach out to parents in new areas of South Norfolk 
2nd June 2023
DATE FOR THE DIARY – TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
We’re very excited to be holding our annual fundraiser at The Assembly House in Norwich!Join us for a delicious award-winning Afternoon Tea including:
A selection of finger selections
Savoury Selection
Warm Cheese Scone with Butter
Warm Fruit Scone with Jam & Cream
A selection of Cakes
Tea or Coffee
£35.00pp
Further exciting details will be announced nearer the time.
Tickets are on sale now – book early to avoid disappointment!https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/615481320197
To book a table for 10+, or for any further information, please do contact us directly on info@getmeout.org.uk
24th May 2023
We are pleased to announce that we have now partnered with Norwich foodbank UK to be able to provide foodbank vouchers for families in need.
If you, or a family you know are struggling for short term access to food supplies or require assistance from another service, you can pop along and see us at The GMOTFW Hub for a referral. The cost-of-living crisis is affecting families big and small, and is having a detrimental effect on the wellbeing and mental health of parents so please do reach out if you’re struggling. You will find understanding, no judgement and a friendly face inside our four walls ready to listen and support you.
We’re here to help
13th March 2023
We’ve had an incredible day at The Norfolk Bump & Beyond Baby and Toddler Fair today!
A huge thank you to Mark & Meryl at MJR Events for choosing GMOTFW as your charity to support this year – it means so much to us!
It was incredible to meet so many new families and parents starting out on their parenting journey as well as catching up with services and organisations we haven’t seen in a while. Norfolk is incredibly lucky to have so many fantastic services, businesses and organisations focused on families and to have so many under one roof today was just brilliant!
If you’re new to our page, please do pop over to our Get Me Out The Four Walls Norfolk group to see upcoming meets and lots more information
8th March 2023
We have had an amazing time meeting new families in Great Yarmouth over the past couple of weeks!
With thanks to funding from Norfolk Community Foundation, we have been bringing families together under one roof at Jump Warehouse – Great Yarmouth for an exclusive GMOTFW session to help parents connect with others in their community and meet families needing support.
We have loved meeting you all and cannot wait for the next 2 sessions which are FULLY BOOKED.
We hope to continue these sessions in the future so if you weren’t lucky to enough to secure a spot this time, keep your eyes peeled for further events in Great Yarmouth.
A massive thank you also to the team at Jump Warehouse for being so accommodating and for going above and beyond to ensure our families feel welcome
31st January 2023
Carrie & Miranda had a lovely time meeting parents in Loddon last week!
Thank you to everyone who came along, we loved having a cuppa and a chat with you all and we hope you all enjoyed meeting some other parents in your area
We’re going to be popping up in various locations across South Norfolk in the next few months with thanks to the Norfolk Community Foundation so do pop along and say hi if we’re nearby! We’ll be back in Loddon again on Thursday 23rd Feb
11th January 2023
We are very excited to announce that we have received funding from @eoecoop to further our support to parents in the Lakenham area of Norwich.
The funding will enable us to further our engagement with parents, professionals and charity organisations in the Lakenham, community and allow us to meet more parents who are in need of support or interaction as well as hosting a Community Open Day here at The GMOTFW Hub – date to follow soon!
We are so grateful to the East of England Co-Op and their members for their support
23rd October 2022
Wow, wow, wow!
There may be a few fuzzy heads around Norfolk this morning however what a fabulous night it was last night at The GMOTFW Autumn Ball 2022!
We’ll be sharing lots of photos and news over the coming days however for now, a few thank yous:
To everyone who bought a ticket to attend or bought raffle tickets. Your donations will help us to continue offering support to parents in the community.
To the amazing team at The Mercure Norwich for taking such good care of us – the team on the night were absolutely incredible!
To our Compere and all round lovely guy, Gary Winter who once again provided outstanding entertainment and had everyone up on their feet enjoying themselves – keep a look out for the Dad Dancing videos that are sure to surface next week! 
To all of the wonderful organisations and businesses who provided raffle prizes and a special thank you to Tesco Express Lakenham for donating 18 bottles of Prosecco for our guests to enjoy!
Finally, to our founder Naomi and all of the volunteers and staff, past and present, for their dedication to GMOTFW and for continuing to offer your support to our cause. You ALL play your part in our history and we’re incredibly grateful to you all.
Please do keep sharing your photos with #gmotfwautumnball or post in the thread below this, we would love to share them!
7th October 2022
FEEDBACK FRIDAY
We LOVE to hear how parents are enjoying their time out of their four walls with us. Whether they are joining us at a social meet in their community or visiting us at The GMOTFW Hub, we strive to offer a supportive and comfortable space for everyone. We found this lovely feedback form in our Play Room at the Hub this week
Please do share your feedback with us, good or bad. You can do this via paper feedback forms at The GMOTFW Hub or you can complete it online via this link https://www.getmeout.org.uk/feedback
6th October 2022
We had an amazing turnout for our first Lego Club at The GMOTFW Hub last Saturday.
12 parents out of the house with their little ones chatting, building and creating together!
Thank you to our Ambassador Martin for hosting these sessions.
22nd September 2022
Get Me Out The Four Walls was invited along to the launch of the new NSFT Rehabilitation in Complex Psychosis Team launch event today.
It was a great opportunity to hear about the new team and network with other VCSE organisations who also attended the event.
20th September 2022
Did you know that we are still offering meeting spaces here at The GMOTFW Hub?
Our meeting spaces offer a cost effective solution to small organisations or businesses looking to host meetings or training events.
If you are interested in hiring one of our spaces for a meeting or a training session, please do get in touch! Hourly rates start from just £10 per hour and as well as taking care of your refreshments, both of our meeting rooms come with a projector & screen as well as free WIFI.
If you have any questions, please send us an email to info@getmeout.org.uk or visit our website www.getmeout.org.uk/hire_rooms
13th September 2022
We’re excited to be holding our first Cuppa & Convo’ Young Parents Group at the GMOTFW Hub TOMORROW!
We’re hosting this in collaboration with Norfolk & Waveney Mind and NSFT to provide a safe, welcoming and friendly space for parents under the age of 25 to come together!
Emma and Kelly from the above organisations will be ready to greet you and can offer information on support available for young parents.
Drop in for a play, cuppa and a chat anytime between 10am until 12pm.
We hope to see you there
25th August 2022
We’re pleased to share that we are now able to refer families in need of support to Baby Bank Norfolk!
Baby Bank Norfolk work with health professionals, GP’s and family services to provide struggling new families with clothing, toys and other essentials for their little ones.
To find out more about their fantastic service or to donate to Baby Bank Norfolk visit https://babybanknorfolk.org.uk/what-we-do/
11th August 2022
New GMOTFW Peer Support service now taking referrals!
We are excited to announce that we are now taking referrals for our new 1-2-1 Peer Support service. We are pleased to welcome our new Peer Support Worker, Sophie-Ann to our team, who will be working with us at The GMOTFW Hub to support parents in need.
Sophie-Ann has experienced her own difficulties with her mental health following the birth of her second child but has since been on her own recovery journey. She is now ready and keen to support others that may be experiencing their own struggles. Information regarding how to refer to our service, can be found on our website www.getmeout.org.uk/peer-support or feel free to drop Sophie-Ann an email sophieann@getmeout.org.uk
Parents are welcome to self refer online or can be referred by a professional service/charity/GP etc.
If you have any questions at all, please do get in touch
5th August 2022
We’re super excited to be launching a new weekly meet up at Bressingham Garden Centre from September!
Ambassador Becky will be ready to meet you every Tuesday morning to enjoy a chat while the kids can run wild in the soft play which is FREE for our meets.
We are continuing to find ways of bringing meets to those rural pockets of Norfolk so this is a big tick off our list!
Thank you to Ruby and the team at The Gardener’s Retreat Restaurant at Bressingham for their generosity and for helping to tackle isolation in their area
24th July 2022
Here it is! 
We are so excited to share our HUGE GMOTFW Summer Meets Programme with you all!
We have over 50+ meets going on throughout the 6 weeks holidays all across the county, hosted by our dedicated Ambassadors. All of our meets are free to attend (unless stated) and all are focused on one thing – keeping parents connected at what can be a very isolating time. We have some new meet locations on the list including Weybourne Beach, Lynford Stag and Foxglove Park in Thetford as well as some classic GMOTFW favourites too.
We are also continuing our sessions at The GMOTFW Hub throughout the summer and featuring a new Music & Movement session to encourage parents and their little ones to enjoy mindful movement.
For full details, meeting places and parking information for all of our summer meets, please head over to our Get Me Out The Four Walls Norfolk group and check out the events tab.
If you feel our programme will be helpful to a friend or family member who does not use social media, please do send us an email to info@getmeout.org.uk and we will be happy to email or post a detailed programme to them.
We are as always, committed to keeping parents connected and socialising this summer and we cannot wait to see you all out of your four walls! – fingers crossed for plenty of sunshine
19th July 2022
As we prepare for Summer, we are excited to share news with you about The GMOTFW Big Family Meet Ups which we will be hosting throughout the Summer Holidays! We were very grateful to receive some funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to enable us to pop up in the following locations:
9th August – DEREHAM
16th August – NORTH WALSHAM
23rd August – GREAT YARMOUTH
We will be visiting 3 different locations around Norfolk to meet new families and will be bringing along:
FREE Soft Play & Games
FREE Sandwiches, cakes & refresments
FREE Craft Activities with Eleanor from Creative Planet Norwich and East Norfolkand our team will be on hand to chat to parents about our meets and volunteering for our service.
Full details are available on our events tab.
All families are welcome to join us, no matter children’s ages – we will be happy to meet you
3rd April 2022
What a weekend we’ve had!
We finally opened the doors to the new GMOTFW Hub to families, community partners and a few special guests yesterday and we cannot thank everyone enough for coming along to support us.
We met lots of new families, caught up with some we haven’t seen for a while, enhanced our connections with fellow organisations and best of all were able to share a cup of tea and some delicious cake with some Mums and Dad’s whilst their little ones played.
The GMOTFW Hub has been an ongoing project since November 2021 and has taken a lot of work and generosity to get the doors open. Firstly, to Inspiration Trust and the team at Hewett Academy not only for offering us this amazing space but for the ongoing support to get everything up and running – THANK YOU!
To our trustees, volunteers, staff, families & friends, who came to help paint, move furniture, plaster walls and so much more – THANK YOU!
To Morrisons Community Champions Sally & Louise and Tesco Community Champion Shez for all of your support, decorating hours and donations of delicious treats to keep the volunteers going – THANK YOU! To Aviva, Ellerdale Trust, British Sugar and the Lodge of Perseverance for their donations which have helped us secure the hub and refurbish it ready for opening – THANK YOU!
To everyone who came yesterday including our charity founder Naomi, Morrisons Community Champions and representatives from local services and organisations – THANK YOU!
To Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis who not only officially opened the hub but also got stuck in with crafts and embraced the GMOTFW ethos – THANK YOU!
And finally to Martin Oakley from Cog Media for snapping away throughout the day capturing memories for us – THANK YOU!
It was a massive team effort but worth every minute and we cannot wait to start welcoming parents into our own four walls from 19th April.
We will be releasing our official programme very soon so keep your eyes peeled
1st January 2022
Happy New Year!
As promised, we are beyond excited to share with you some amazing news.
Since starting out in 2016, GMOTFW has changed and adapted to be able to continue supporting parents in many different ways. We started by hosting small social meets in local parks and coffee shops which helped us build an army of Ambassadors and helped introduce parents to our inclusive ethos and our passion for helping parents stay connected and well. Since then we have adapted to provide specific sessions for parents, offered online support, hosted online activities as well as creating new spaces for parents to meet through our Meets In The Mall programme and our recent support and play sessions which have helped hundreds of parents engage with others and seek support for their mental health.
We’re now ready for the next step and are thrilled to announce that we will be opening the door to our very own four walls in early 2022!! The GMOTFW Hub will be a self contained unit set within the grounds of Hewett Academy in Lakenham, Norwich. Our new hub will consist of an office space for our team, a training room for training our volunteers, a large playroom/meet space and a boardroom/office space for local organisations and services to hire.
The hub will be open Mon-Fri between 10am and 2pm and will be an open drop in space for parents who require support, a quiet space to meet a friend or an impartial location for services to meet with parents and families with whom they’re supporting. A member of our staff team will be available at the Hub every day to signpost parents to support services, to offer advice or just to have a cup of tea with if parents just need someone to talk to. Our volunteer Ambassadors will also be hosting a programme of small drop in play sessions for parents who may be anxious or prefer a quieter group setting with their children.
We will be spending January getting the hub set up and ready to open (fingers crossed) in February/March so please do keep an eye on our pages for upcoming information.
If you have any enquiries about our new GMOTFW Hub or if you are a professional/service and would like to speak with us about using the Hub, please do drop us an email to info@getmeout.org.uk
We cannot wait to welcome you into our own four walls very soon!
7th December 2021
In 2020, we launched a campaign to give every mother in Kingfisher Mother & Baby Unit a special Christmas gift.
We were overwhelmed by the generosity of so many and quickly surpassed our target to donate 30 Christmas gift bags filled with treats in 2020.
With the extra donations, we were then able to donate 8 special gift bags on Mother’s Day for inpatients at the MBU and we have today delivered another 20 Christmas gift bags for those mothers within Kingfisher MBU and those in the Community teams who are receiving care.
We cannot thank each and every person who donated enough. Struggling with mental illness in those first few months of being a new parent can be an extremely isolating and terrifying experience and we hope that these special treats can help bring some happiness to those struggling – we’re thinking of you all 
29th November 2021
What an amazing day we had on Saturday at our GMOTFW Christmas Fair!
Lots of excitement, fantastically festive jumpers, delicious homemade mince pies and lots of Christmas Spirit!
A huge thank you to all of our wonderful stall holders, family and friends who came along to help out, everyone who donated raffle prizes and baked cakes, our amazing vice chair Caroline for organising and most of all to everyone who came along to support us – we hope you had as much fun as we did!
Until next year…
22nd November 2021
Last week we had our first GMOTFW meet in Suffolk since 2020!
Our new Ambassador Amy was excited to visit the friendly and welcoming Freedom Café in Great Barton, which has a lovely family room, a delicious coffee menu and the most incredible cake selection – the perfect venue for a small gathering of parents to come together for a chat!
Amy will be hosting further meets at the Freedom Café – visit our Eventbrite page for all the information! https://gmotfw.eventbrite.co.uk
Welcome to the team Amy!
14th October 2021
How lovely it has been to be back out at our Support & Play Sessions over the past few weeks!
It’s been great to meet lots of new faces and seeing some faces we already know too.
We’ve been able to expand the sessions meaning more spaces are now available as well as more activities for children and some yummy biscuits for Mum’s and Dad’s too!
A massive thank you as always to our incredible volunteer Ambassadors who help to host these sessions – we couldn’t do it without you all
Spaces still available for our sessions over the next few weeks, please take a look at our Eventbrite page here http://gmotfw.eventbrite.com for all the details and to book a space
6th October 2021
We’re very excited to announce that our Christmas Fun & Craft Fair will be returning this year on Saturday 27th November!!!
Join the GMOTFW team at The Phoenix Centre, Norwich, for a day of festive fun including gift stalls, crafts and games for the children, letters to Santa, delicious treats in our Christmas Café and so much more!
Suggested donation of £1pp for entry with all proceeds going to Get Me Out The Four Walls to help us continue our work with parents in the community.
If you can offer a prize for our raffle or tombola, please email carolinefisher@getmeout.org.uk
We can’t wait to see you there 
6th September 2021
A big thank you to all those who collected the EDP’s Cash4Charity tokens for Get Me Out The Four Walls.
We collected 639 tokens out of 170,000 collected overall, which means we will be receiving £74.07
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/cash-for-charities-winners-revealed-8291608
21st June 2021
In acknowledgement of Father’s Day, we’re excited today to launch our latest project to further support parents in the community.
Get Me Out The Four Walls – Dads has been supported by The Norfolk Community Foundation through the Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund to offer a supportive, inclusive and free space for Dad’s to connect with others and access information and support on men’s mental health.
With the increase in demand for men’s mental health services, its evident that provisions for men are few and far between – we are really keen to be a place of acceptance and understanding for Dad’s to come to when needing that vital peer support throughout their parenting journey.
Members of our Ambassador team will be posting regular updates of services available, topical chats and a monthly virtual meet up for Dad’s to connect and chat.
If you’re a Dad and would like to get involved in supporting others, please do drop us an email to info@getmeout.org.uk – we’d love to hear from you!
Please join and share 
6th April 2021
Following confirmation from Government of the lockdown roadmap, from 12th April indoor meets can go ahead. Therefore we are pleased to be able to open up booking for our new ‘Support and Play’ Sessions.
Bookings will open up a week in advance of each session.
https://www.getmeout.org.uk/meet-booking-form/
We are limiting attendees to each session to 5 family bubbles.
Bookings are now open for the following sessions:
Tues 13th April – SPROWSTON (Diamond Centre) FULLY BOOKED
Thurs 15th April – LODDON (Library Annexe)
Fri 16th April – DISS (Diss Methodist Church)
All sessions run from 11am until 12pm and MUST be booked in advance.
All attendees will be asked to complete a Covid health questionnaire 24 hours in advance.
Please do not visit the session unless you have received confirmation of your booking.
3rd March 2021
We are pleased to confirm that as of 29th March (providing there are no alterations to the government road map) we will once again be able to host outdoor social meets in the community!!
Park visits, walks and picnics are back on the agenda and we will be welcoming up to 6 family bubbles to these meets. It will allow for any anxieties in attendees to be put at ease and for us to find our way through the first weeks. Parents will need to book their space at the meet via an online link and then complete an online track and trace form the day prior to the meet. Full details of this will be revealed very soon!
We are also looking to launch our fortnightly indoor support and play sessions on 13th April!
Locations for these are:
Sprowston
Loddon
Diss
Thetford
Necton
Thorpe – coming soon!
These small support sessions will be completely free to attend and will combine activities for children along with topical conversation, a chance to chat with other parents in their area and offer signposting to local services if they need further support. These sessions will be limited to 5 family bubbles per session plus the hosting Ambassador and team They will consist of 6 seperate play bubbles for families to have access to their own equipment, toys and messy play. These sessions will need to be booked in advance.
All of our meets will be Covid secure and all of our hosting ambassadors will have access to PPE and have undertaken Covid-19 Awareness training to ensure that everybody remains safe.
We will confirm further details soon on all of the above.
We can’t wait to get back to doing what we do and helping parents to connect, seek support and feel well once again.
18th January 2021
Our Annual fundraiser is back!!
March Miles 4 Parents (Formally March Miles For Mums) is back for 2021 with a new look and with a renewed passion for helping people get out of the house whilst raising money to support parents in your area!
TO REGISTER PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO INFO@GETMEOUT.ORG.UK
HOW DOES IT WORK?
It’s simple!
1. Set a target to walk/run/cycle/buggy walk/scoot (whatever you like!) and complete the challenge in the month of March.
For example:Walk 1 mile per dayCycle 4 miles per dayJump around the garden 10 times every day (great for the kids!)
Why not try a group challenge? Run the distance from Norwich to London as a family taking 30 miles each to complete individually but as a group effort? Maybe you could do this with family to help stay connected or as a work team?Use your imagination – the possibilities are endless.
2. Design your own Virgin Money Giving campaign page via a link we will send you and any sponsorship can be transferred straight to the charity rather than having to transfer or collect sponsors in person.
A sponsor form is available by request if you would prefer.
3. Start gathering sponsorships and sharing news of your challenge. Every penny helps so at this difficult time any donation is a worthy one!
4. On March 1st – start your challenge! Share your progress using #mm4p and let us know how you are getting on!
We will be launching a new GMOTFW MM4P Facebook group so that you can keep in touch with others who are completing their own challenges as well as to share your progression with us.
All funds raised will be used to further our support within the community by funding free services for parents and their children to seek vital peer support and help tackle social isolation in parenthood.
Contact the team on info@getmeout.org.uk for full details on how to register!
15th January 2021
With a new year and lots of new and exciting developments to come, we are very pleased to reveal our brand new look!
We’d like to thank KirstyP Designs for her help in designing our new logo! Her social media link is https://m.facebook.com/kirstypdesigns/ Her contact email address is kirstypargeter@hotmail.com
We’re looking forward to a bright and positive 2021
4th January 2021
With the announcement of another lockdown, we need to support each other as much as possible. Here at GMOTFW, we have launched our Daily Debrief sessions, each daytime evening, between 8pm and 9pm, to allow our members to tell us about their day, any stresses they have, any absolute wins, or just to have a bit of a moan. Members of the GMOTFW team will monitor the post, and provide a listening ear and support where needed. Other online events, including our Mental Health Monday Zoom sessions, and our weekly Thursday night quiz are continuing, plus more. Please join our closed Facebook pages for more information.
15th December 2020
Exciting News!!
GMOTFW are delighted to announce that with thanks to The Norfolk Community Foundation, Clarion Futures and Norfolk County Council, we will be launching our brand new Support & Play sessions in Spring 2021!
We’ll be visiting venues in Thetford, Diss, Loddon, Necton, Thorpe & Sprowston on a fortnightly basis and offering small and inclusive support sessions for parents to bring their children along to. This will provide vital peer support to those who are socially isolated and help them to make connections with local services and organisations as well as help them make friends within their community.
All sessions will run in a Covid secure setting with each bubble having their own exclusive play area and best of all the sessions will be completely FREE for parents to attend.
Full details to follow soon.
Castle Quarter and Get Me Out The Four Walls to host virtual Halloween Spooktacular
Castle Quarter has joined forces with Norfolk charity Get Me Out The Four Walls to create a virtual Halloween Spooktacular. The online event takes place from 11am on Saturday 31st October and is open to all.
Virtual party goers will be in for a fun-filled day, including: a Halloween quiz, fancy dress catwalk, musical bumps and lots more.
“We love hosting events at Castle Quarter, but it’s simply not possible to do that at the moment,” says Robert Bradley, centre manager. “So, we’re delighted to be working with our friends at Get Me Out The Four Walls to offer our customers the next best thing; a virtual Halloween Spooktacular. We’ll be providing a prize for the best Halloween-inspired fancy dress costume and there will be spooky certificates for the winner and runner up.”
Get Me Out The Four Walls was created to ensure that no parent or carer feels alone and isolated at home after the birth of their children. By arranging informal meet-ups and events, the charity aims to give people the opportunity to escape their house and get together with people in a similar situation; helping to stabilise, and prevent the onset of, mental health issues.
“Isolation is a major issue for many parents and the pandemic has made this far, far worse,” says Carrie Dagraca, publicity and recruitment coordinator at Get Me Out The Four Walls. “Whilst we can’t encourage people to get together in large groups at the moment, joining up with other families via Zoom will provide an opportunity for children, parents and carers to socialise and have some Halloween fun. We really hope that families will get involved by dressing up, enjoying spooky-themed treats, and even decorating their homes.”
To pre-book a place at the Castle Quarter Halloween Spooktacular, please visit @castlequarternorwich on Facebook and send a message with your details. You will then be sent login details for the Zoom event.
23rd October 2020
18th September 2020
- Limit meet attendees to 6 “families” (parent and child) including the host/ambassador.
- Hold only outdoor meets at present where transmission rates of Covid-19 are low.
- Require all of our hosting Ambassadors to complete a Covid-19 training course.
- Require all attendees to complete a Track and Trace Health Questionnaire prior to attending the meet.
- Provide all Ambassadors with a Covid Essentials Box full of supplies such as masks, PPE, tissues and Hand Gel should an emergency situation arise.
- Ensure attendees adhere to the Government social distancing guidelines of 2m at all times.
9th September 2020
Our first Meet!
20th August 2020
Meets Update
29th July 2020 – EDP article
Parenting charity calling for virtual volunteers to help isolated families
Get Me Out The Four Walls (GMOTFW), which started in Norfolk 2015, allows families and parents and carers to meet up face-to-face through social events.
But due to the coronavirus lockdown and ongoing restrictions the charity, which has expanded to help people in Suffolk, is recruiting an army of virtual ambassadors to host online activities to help people struggling with social isolation or mental health issues including postnatal depression.
Carrie Dagraca, publicity recruitment co-ordinator for GMOTFW, said: “We would usually do outside social events for parents so we have started doing what we can online to help beat that isolation. It is amazing how much you can make happen online. The possibilities are endless.”
Mrs Dagraca said that since lockdown the charity has hosted almost 200 online meets and social check-ins which have attracted over 750 people, including parents, carers and grandparents.
Online meets have included daily tea and coffee sessions via Zoom and a virtual picnic, supported by Castle Quarter, will be held in August.
She said activities offered by virtual ambassadors could include online games or virtual scavenger hunts but the charity was open to ideas.
The virtual ambassador roles are being funded by grants from the Norfolk Community Foundation, Suffolk Community Foundation, and the Government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.
She added the project will continue alongside physical meet-ups in the future.
Virtual ambassador Clair Rayner, 29, from Norwich, who has a one-year-old son, who had postnatal depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder after having her baby, said: “Without GMOTFW I would be isolated and my mental health would have declined a lot more. It is a vital service. Parenting is so difficult.
“Doing the meet-ups virtually rather than face-to-face might help more people because they can get onto the computer in the safety of their home. It is a stepping stone.”
To register an interest in becoming a virtual ambassador email carrie@getmeout.org.uk
7th May 2020 – EDP Article
Concern over parents’ mental health during coronavirus lockdown
A charity has warned parents living with mental health problems could relapse due to ongoing coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Kelly Moulds, representative of Get Me Out The Four Walls, which helps parents and carers across Norfolk and Suffolk who are either isolated or struggling with mental health problems including postnatal depression, said: “There will be a relapse in mental health because of this. It is going to be a slow process in terms of people getting back to where they were with their wellbeing and mental health before the lockdown. I hope the support will be there after all this finishes.”
But amid these concerns, Dr Rebecca Horne, consultant perinatal psychiatrist for the Norfolk and Waveney community perinatal service, has urged pregnant women and new mothers to seek help through their GP, midwife or health visitor.
Dr Horne said the essential service continues to run and has adapted during lockdown to include video and telephone consultations, although face to face appointments can still be done safely through staff wearing personal protective equipment.
Mrs Moulds added: “Because a lot of what we do is through physical meet-ups and getting people out of their houses the lockdown has had a huge impact on us.”
The charity, which started in Norfolk in 2015 and expanded into Suffolk in June 2019, was continuing its support through online videos, chats and its Facebook group.
Since March 2019-March 2020 the number of people it has supported through physical meet-up events in Norfolk is 2,330 and the number of people in Suffolk it has helped through meet-ups from June 2019-March 2020 is 403.
Dr Horne said: “We are noticing some mothers are experiencing an increase in their anxieties. The services are there. We are adapting how we provide care virtually. It can be a really difficult time for parents to be in isolation and not being able to see their family and friends.”
She added the team, run by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which currently helps between 300-400 people, was keen on providing support for pregnant front line workers.
Mother urges parents reach out to others in lockdown
A mother who suffers with anxiety is urging parents to talk to friends and family to help ease mental health problems during lockdown.
Amber Ward-Goss, 27, from Downham Market, who has four children aged four months old, one, six and eight, said: “There are some days when I think I cannot do this and want to sit in the corner and cry but there are so many things people can do online. Keep talking to people. The lockdown is hard for everyone. Everybody is in the same boat. Reach out to people.”
Miss Ward-Goss, said she has always lived with anxiety and the lockdown brought back memories of being trapped in an abusive relationship, which she left in 2014.
But she added: “You have to make the most out of a bad situation. It is nice to get this time with the children.”
The ambassador for Get Me Out The Four Walls said the pressure of home schooling was also adding to her anxiety.
4th October 2019 – EDP Article
Mums and Dads invited to NHS Health and Social Care recruitment event
Mums and dads who have been out of the jobs market for a long time are being invited to come to a special event in Norwich to find out about opportunities in health and care.
The information session is being held at the Kastle Kids Unit within Castle Mall in Norwich on Wednesday 9th October between 10.30am and 1pm.
There will be information on the skills needed for employment within health and care, apprenticeships, how to apply for jobs and how to find work in the health and care sector. This will also provide an opportunity for local health and care employers to understand the types of roles and flexible working arrangements people are looking for to suit their individual needs.
People will be encouraged to think about work experience, volunteering, traineeships and flexible working to suit the family. There will also be a strong focus on the benefits of having a routine through getting back into work for peoples health and wellbeing.
There is a particular invitation for anyone who has been out of the job market for a while because they have been at home with the kids, or for anyone who has found looking after the little ones socially isolating.
Alan Holland, CEO of Get Me Out The Four Walls, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the NHS for this important opportunity for our local parents and carers. It can be incredibly difficult for parents to re-enter the workplace, and by offering opportunities such as this, we hope to support our community in a new and exciting way.”
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 they aim to give as many people the opportunity to escape their house and meet others which they believe helps prevent parental mental illnesses such as postnatal depression, and helps aid stabilisation of mental health.
They also strive to support parents who are struggling with a mental illness by offering 1 to 1 peer support and social meets.
The health and care workforce event is being organised jointly with the Norfolk and Waveney Health and Care Partnership, which is made up of local NHS, wider health and social care organisations, voluntary sector and county councils working together.
The STP Director of Workforce, Anna Morgan, said: “Our future workforce depends on our ability to recruit people with the right values, people that want to care and make a difference to people’s lives when they are at their most vulnerable. Parents of children of any age are ideal for health and care careers as they have gained many important skills and experience as a result of being a parent which transfer well into caring roles.”
For further information about the even on October 9th, please contact: info@getmeout.org.uk
3rd July 2019
Ambitious parenting charity expanding into Suffolk
One of Norfolk’s leading parenting charities is making the leap across the border as it begins to offer its services in Suffolk.
Get Me Out The Four Walls, which has a network of volunteer ambassadors organising meet ups for parents and carers all over Norfolk, has recently received NHS funding to expand into Suffolk.
The first Suffolk meet will take place in the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds on 7th July from 11am-2pm, where local families are invited to bring a picnic and meet staff from the charity.
Kelly Moulds, Service Manager for Norfolk and Suffolk, said: “The aim of our charity is simple – to provide parents and carers with opportunities to get out of the house and meet other people.
“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 onset of parental mental illnesses such as postnatal depression, and helps aid stabilisation of mental health.
“We are incredibly proud and delighted to be expanding our service into Suffolk, and cannot wait to establish a network of ambassadors here. If anyone is interested in joining us, we would love to hear from you!”
All the meets being organised in Suffolk will be listed on the Get Me Out The Four Walls Suffolk Facebook page – www.facebook.com/groups/gmotfwsuffolk.
Get Me Out The Four Walls was established in 2015 by mum Naomi Farrow as a way of getting local parents out of the house by organising meet ups in her area. The idea soon grew, and now there are around 30 ambassadors across Norfolk volunteering as ambassadors, organising meets everywhere from cafes and soft play centres to the cinema and beach. The organisation became a registered charity in March 2018.
For more information about the charity, or to find out more about becoming an ambassador, email info@getmeout.org.uk.
11th June 2019
National funding for local parenting charity
Parenting charity Get Me Out The Four Walls has received nearly £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to help parents and carers in Norfolk.
Get Me Out The Four Walls was established in 2015 by Norfolk mum Naomi Farrow as a way of getting local parents out of the house by organising meet ups in her area. The idea soon grew, and now there are around 30 ambassadors across Norfolk volunteering as ambassadors, organising meets everywhere from cafes and soft play centres to the cinema and beach. The organisation became a registered charity in March 2018.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will see the charity able to host weekly meet ups in the Kastle Kids unit in Castle Mall, where free activities will be put on for children to enjoy with their parents or carers. Staff and volunteers from Get Me Out The Four Walls will be on hand to provide support and advice to parents and carers who might need it.
Kelly Moulds, Service Manager said: “We’re delighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has provided us with the funding to be able to expand this already successful project. Now we will be able to offer weekly sessions in Castle Mall for parents and carers to get out of their four walls and find support with our friendly team.”