Come to an event or workshop - Siblings Connect 2013

Over 220 people attended our Siblings Connect event on Saturday 2 March in London.

The day provided a space for the adult brothers and sisters of people with mental illness to share their experiences and concerns, get practical advice, ask questions and find out about the support available to them and their family.

If you couldn't make it, or if you just want a reminder of the content, you can download workshop presentations and materials and watch the videos below.

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Our Siblings Connect speakers

Catherine Gamble - a consultant nurse who co-produces and runs skills workshops and recovery programmes for families, friends and carers at South West London St George's Recovery College. Catherine reflected on the value of siblings in supporting people's recovery from mental illness. She explored ways that you can increase your skills and resilience in order to better support your brother or sister and cope better yourself.

Watch Catherine Gamble's talk and download the presentation: The value of sibling relationships presentation 

Molly McCloskey - author of family memoir Circles Around the Sun which explores her experiences of having a brother affected by schizophrenia. Molly talked about her personal experiences and what she learned while writing her sibling memoir.

Sidney Millin - born in Zimbabwe where he trained and worked as a journalist, Sidney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a year after he moved to the UK in 1995. He talked about his personal story and journey to recovery and how his brothers and sisters helped.

Watch Sidney's talk:

Workshop sessions

Attendees also had the opportunity to attend workshops designed to provide them with the skills to support their siblings and look after their own wellbeing.

Take a look at our workshops and download workshop presentations below:

Talking space: Share experiences, advice and problem solve
Talking to professionals: Common issues for families
Planning for the future: Care and support options for your sibling
Adjusting to change and moving forward: Techniques for learning to cope
Normal?: A play about sibling experiences
Recovery and mental illness: Latest research and how siblings can help
The sibling role: How can siblings make a difference?
Communication skills and psychosis: Practical skills for better communication
Challenging stigma and discrimination: Starting the conversation about mental health

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Hear from attendees of Siblings Connect 2013

My brother’s keeper: meeting the needs of siblings - Our CEO Paul Jenkins, a sibling himself, tells us about his experiences of the day and why sibling support is so important.

A family gathering  - Kate, a sibling new to the network, tell us about the day and what finding information and support meant for her.

Tell us what you think

Were you at Siblings Connect? We'd love to hear from you on our Siblings Network online forum.

I found the event quite life changing in that I now know I need to change my actions & the way I view my brothers situation in order to get him help. Meeting people here who want to meet again to give me support is incredible.

Get tips and ideas from last year's event

Find this helpful? You can also watch talks from our Siblings Connect event in May 2012 and download resources from the workshops at Siblings Connect 2012.