Virginia’s Story

Virginia is using a community circle to help her make friends. It’s working, as she says, ‘I have had friends at my house for the first time in eight years’.

Virginia explains how she has changed.

‘The purpose of my circle is to help me make friends. My community circle is also helping me heaps to experience new things and to try new hobbies. It has given me more confidence.

‘I have had four movie nights at my house, joined the Manawatu TimeBank, taken part in TimeBank events and met new people.

I talk to more people when I am doing things like watching my cousin play hockey and going to the club rooms. I enjoy talking to people on the sidelines and the coaches.

‘I am planning more events like going to visit a rest home and taking some biscuits and I now go out for coffee with people.

‘I want to keep my circle going as it has helped me heaps. I am mixing more and I am not so shy. I am out of my shell now.’

At the beginning of 2017, Options (Tautoko Services) embarked on a project to bring Community Circles to New Zealand. With support from Community Circles UK, we have developed a small number of

Community Circles in Palmerston North and Tararua using the person-centred thinking tools that we have become familiar with in our everyday work.

We are now recruiting volunteer community circle facilitators and members, so we can start offering a community circle to more people.

Virginia was the first person to get her circle up and running with the help of her circle facilitator Andrea. Virginia’s circle has been meeting since February 2017.

Circles bring people together to think and plan in a way that organically builds community around people who are isolated, or need support because of their health, disability or circumstances.

If you are interested in having a circle or being part of a circle contact carol@options.org.nz.