Published Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 15:27
After months of meeting ‘virtually’ via Teams, Blackburn with Darwen’s Long Covid group are starting back their face- to- face sessions this week!
Long COVID is used to describe signs and symptoms that last for a few weeks or months after having a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19. It can affect your whole body, and symptoms can change and come and go over time. Long Covid can have a substantial impact on people’s lives and there is still lots we don’t know about it.
In 2021, a partnership between Blackburn with Darwen Adult Learning, Re:fresh and the Covid Community Champions Team set up a peer support group for people suffering with Long Covid. The aims of the group were to share experiences, support each other and find ways of managing their condition.
The group met for a few months ‘in person’ last year but then had to revert to virtual sessions due to the rising case numbers.
Taking feedback on board from people who couldn’t attend the daytime sessions, the face- to- face group is now meeting in evenings.
The sessions are starting this Wednesday (23rd March) and will take place on the third Wednesday of every month at 5.30-6.30pm at Bank Top Neighbourhood Learning Centre.
Everyone with Long Covid is welcome and there is no need to book.
Virtual sessions are also still being held weekly on a Wednesday daytime, from 1-2pm.
Again these are free to attend and open to anyone in Blackburn with Darwen with Long Covid.
One of the first people to attend Blackburn with Darwen’s pioneering Long Covid support group has talked about the vital help she has received.
Amina, a teaching assistant from Blackburn, had Covid in December 2020 and started attending the group in September 2021 after experiencing a range of symptoms following her isolation period.
Amina still has ongoing symptoms and manages with strategies supported by the Occupational Therapist from the Covid Clinic and self-advocating through Long Covid platforms.
Amina said:
“I had found an online group for Long Covid which was helpful but then my friend discovered this in-person support group and told me about it. I thought, wow, this is something that is real, and I was really keen to try and get out and do something about what was happening to me. So I went along. Unfortunately we had to stop the face-to- face sessions last year due to rising case numbers so I am absolutely delighted that our face- to- face meetings are restarting. ”
Amina was one of the first to access the Blackburn with Darwen support group and soon after others joined.
“I really felt like I was heard, and understood, and the volunteers were so kind and supportive. It started a new journey for me, I felt validated and listened to. It was great for mental health reasons as well. It is simply an amazing support and I have made friends there who are fantastic people. As a new disease, Long Covid still isn’t really fully understood and isn’t instantly fixable, so groups and support like this really helps.”
Amina added:
“It can feel daunting at first when you are walking into a new group but everyone there is so friendly, it is just about having a chat and there is no pressure, it very quickly becomes a meeting of friends and it feels like a really safe place. Everyone has a chance to share their individual experience of Long Covid, and it really helps us to manage our recovery.
“I would say to anyone that is going through Long Covid that the opportunity for the face- to- face sessions will be massively beneficial. This time we’re planning lots of varied activates around wellbeing and a chance to input your own experiences.
It really changed things for me and has been a really positive experience.”
Anyone who would like to take part or has questions about the support on offer or how to access the group can get in touch with the Council’s Covid Community Champions team on communitychampions@blackburn.gov.uk or (01254) 304597.