The Peer Partnership provides peer support solutions, where people take their experiences in overcoming obstacles and barriers to living the life they want to lead and share them with others facing similar circumstances.
The Peer Partnership is an extension of the successful work achieved by Brigstowe in providing peer support for people newly diagnosed or struggling with HIV. Our HIV peer mentoring program helps not just those people newly diagnosed, but also provides opportunities and engagement for the volunteers who mentor them. Our mentees tell us that they are provided with the right information in ways they can understand, and that during and following support, they feel less lonely and isolated and better able to self-manage their situation.
Following the successful implementation of peer support for people living with HIV, we wanted to see if the same outcomes could be achieved in other health conditions, so in 2018, we partnered with Bristol Community Health and Sirona care & health to deliver a pilot peer support project for people with type 2 diabetes. The pilot proved successful, and Brigstowe realised it had a unique opportunity to spread the benefits of peer support to others, so The Peer Partnership was set up.
The Peer Partnership is working across the UK to spread the adoption of peer support by working with organisations to create effective, safe, and user-led peer support services. We recognise the huge benefits that peer mentoring provides people living with long-term physical or mental health problems. We share best practice with others who are designing, managing, or implementing peer support into their services and provide all the necessary resources and skills needed to build successful projects. We are advocating for the widespread acceptance and use of peer support as a valid and essential tool in supporting the resilience of people living with difficult circumstances.
For more information about The Peer Partnership, visit our website at www.peerpartnership.org.