The Norwich Support Group is run by Linda Moore and Linda Iaccorino. The group meets bi-monthly and always keep their members engaged by holding different events throughout the year. The two Lindas shared how they plan, organise and execute these events to help you plan for 2026.
Our events
Quiz and Chips
We have some annual events that our members look forward to every year. Quiz and Chips is quite literally a quiz that we organise with some delicious chips from the local Chippy. We plan out the quiz questions, making sure to keep it inclusive. We write a mixture of questions that vary in difficulty. Don’t make the questions too hard, because this will put people off. Before the event we ask people for their order of chips so that we can put this in ahead of the night and just pick it up during a break. We usually have a few teams of four, and ask them to put £10 in. We also hold a raffle during the break and provide refreshments. It’s wonderful, fun event that creates a lovely atmosphere and keeps people engaged.
Summer Walk
We held a sponsored summer walk this year to raise funds for PSPA. We set the distance at 5 miles and participants could go at their own pace. We planned it for August, where we actually had some great weather! We chose to walk around our local Eaton Park which was accessible for wheelchair users as well.
Christmas Fayre
Our Christmas Fayre Fundraiser is an event that our members always look forward to. We have various stalls including: seasonal crafts, tombola, raffle, games, books and refreshments. We also have a display that’s regularly updated and houses key information about PSP & CBD. This is so that anyone who comes to the event can learn something about the conditions, takeaway leaflets and have a conversation with us.
How to plan your events
- Speak to your members: The first and best place to start is by speaking to your group and finding out what they want to do. This will set the tone for the year and ensure that your members voices are heard, and they feel involved in the decision making.
- Give yourself lots of planning time: it’s important to give yourself time to plan things, because there are different things to consider such as potential dates, how long you want events to last for, what’s needed for each etc/. If you’re thinking about planning an event for Spring, start planning it January, if it’s for Christmas, think about it in June. This will help you to feel less rushed and stressed.
- Make the group about socialising: creating this social atmosphere makes it easier for members to share experiences, but to also want to be involved in planning events.
- Start with an easy event: something like a quiz is less effort and easier to plan the logistics.
- Setting up events: enlist as much as help as you can. Seek help from group members who are able, but don’t forget you can also ask your family and friends who we have found are always keen to support and help.
- Picking a venue: when selecting a venue there are some important aspects to consider such as accessibility, distance, transport and ease of travel. When you’re thinking of a venue to hire give yourself plenty of time to plan and investigate. Consider your local church and village halls. Not all are, but some venues are accessible and well known in your local areas. It also helped us to move events around different areas of the county, so that more people can attend and we spread awareness even further.
- Consider the logistics: if you’re planning to host a raffle for instance, it’s really important to be upfront about the prices you will charge. It’s also important to make attendees know that you will be using cash and that’s what they need to bring, so there’s no confusion on the day. You will need to check with your local council if you need to register with them as a Small Society and apply for a lottery license. You can find your local council on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
- Promoting the event: it helps to spread the word about your event through word of mouth. Utilise your group members and their families to tell more people about your event. Create posts on your Facebook group or if you’re comfortable, your personal pages. Contact the PSPA Communications team to ask them to publicise it on the charity social channels.
Remember to keep it light and fun and to the spread the load where possible. We know what people are going through and that’s why we have been volunteering for the last 13 years. Events help to change up your groups and have something to look forward to.
