Peer Support Training
Obesity UK is the UK’s leading registered charity dedicated to supporting people living with obesity. The charity runs regular, well-attended peer-led support groups that provide a valuable link between individuals struggling daily and the organisations offering evidence-based weight management services.
It was identified that peer support groups needed to be developed to address the needs of underrepresented communities, such as South Asian Muslim women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. These groups are crucial because both communities can face higher risks of obesity and related health conditions, yet are underserved by existing services.
The project involved co-developing tailored peer-led support groups through a collaborative approach, including workshops with community members. The key objectives were to identify and train community peers to lead the groups, learn how to better engage with these communities, create sustainable support networks, and apply the insights gained from these groups to inform future initiatives.
The project led to the development of a generic toolkit to help create additional support groups, train facilitators, and share lessons learned from the process. A tailored toolkit for the South Asian communities and LGBTQIA+ communities were also produced.