Events

Who can sign up?

Our online events are just for adult siblings who have a brother or sister who has a lifelong disability. A sibling-only environment helps siblings to feel comfortable sharing the highs and lows of sibling life. No parents, partners, brothers/sisters, researchers or professionals will be admitted.

What are the sessions like?

Friendly and informal! We want all siblings to feel as welcome as possible.

We don’t record the sessions or take screenshots. You don’t need to bring or prepare anything. Just sit yourself down in a quiet room with a cuppa, close the door, and have the chance to say hello to other siblings like you.

“Thank you so much for hosting a fabulous session this morning. I feel much more positive about my situation and knowing there are others who feel the same. It was a great boost.” – Adult sibling

What can I expect?

• A friendly hello from us at Sibs!
• The chance to meet and say hello to other siblings like you – everyone will have their video on
• Sibling to sibling peer support. Share your experiences, offer your tips and learn from others as we chat around the topic
• A confidential, sibling-only environment ­– no recording or screenshots, no parents or professionals

“Many thanks for running last night’s session – it was extremely useful and also great to see the other siblings and hear their perspectives. Carol McBride was really excellent – she explained the key information really clearly and gave very useful responses to the questions.” – Adult sibling

When are the next sessions?

We’ve just finished holding our recent series of events (see below to catch-up!). When new dates are announced, we’ll update this page. Join our monthly mailing list here and you will be the first to find out. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.

“I am writing to thank you and the Sibs team for another really helpful session.  I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to attend these sessions and I have already been able to use the advice Liz gave in response to the question I asked about my brother’s care.” – Adult sibling

I’d like to catch up with previous events

Earlier this year, Sibs gratefully received funding from the Learning Disability England (LDE) Grant Pot, on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to support adult siblings. Each session included an expert speaker, the chance to meet with other siblings and chat around the topic. We don’t record sessions for confidentiality reasons. You can download our quick reference, one-page guides for each session here:

• Being a sibling carer (held April 13th)
• Feeling confident about safeguarding, with Lisa Curtis, Ann Craft Trust (held June 2nd)
• Mental capacity with Carol McBride (held 28th June)
• Advocacy part 1 with Liz Wilson and Annie Fergusson, Dimensions (held 13th July)
• Self-care (inc mindfulness) with Claire Garthwaite, With Mindfulness (held 21st July)
• Advocacy part 2 with Liz Wilson and Annie Fergusson, Dimensions (held 13th Sept)
• Caring from a distance with Clare Whitfield, Caroline White and Jane Wray, University of Hull (held 27th Sept)
• Behaviour that challenges with Nick Gore, Tizard Centre (held 5th Oct)

Looking for more information? Have a look at our guides for adult siblings and our find help page. Want to speak to others who really ‘get’ what life as a sibling is like? Join a support group here.

“I came into that [session] wanting to cry and left feeling upbeat and hopeful!” – Adult sibling

I’ve got questions…

We’d love to hear from you – please email info@sibs.org.uk

“I found what was being said so great and confirms what I am doing is actually good progress in meetings and being an advocate for my sister. However, the information given makes things crystal clear and it is extremely encouraging that I cannot thank you all enough for the support. It’s been like driving in mud since mine and my sister’s mum passed away. So to see others going through similar things to me is just amazing as I often feel alone speaking up for my sister who has a one of a kind, complex needs. It’s been a real battle but I’m winning every day! Just some feedback that Sibs is a life line – THANK YOU 😊” – Adult sibling