TOC H Friendship Circles Friendship Circles are mutual self-help groups for people who share a common difficulty. In the majority of them, the shared difficulty concerns mental health. Most of those who attend are therefore people who have either been ill or who are struggling to remain well. Circles normally meet weekly, for a shared meal and mutual support. In the warmth and safety of a circle of friends who understand the problems, people will be supported and, sometimes, constructively challenged.
Circles are self managed and autonomous.
They decide their own priorities and plan their own activities. The role of the staff person, or local voluntary facilitator, is to start Circles, recruit new members, and give general guidance and back-up. A key function of Circle life is the Circle holiday - which encourages members to broaden their horizons and visit places they would not risk on their own. Holidays also mix members of different Circles together, and broaden outlooks that way too. The newest TOC H development is in the running of 'Family Schemes'.