Community Corner
Get Me Out The Four Walls (Norfolk) - Our regular spotlight on a grassroots VCSE organisation in the perinatal mental health sector
What is the name of your organisation and when did you set up?
Get Me Out The Four Walls was created in 2015 as a community-based peer support service, with the aim of preventing parents feeling isolated and lonely during the first years of parenthood. The organisation went on to become a registered Charity in 2018, dedicating their service to those parents who feel isolated and providing them with a safe and supportive environment to connect with others and get support.
What prompted you to set up in the first place?
Our Founder, Naomi Farrow, had been experiencing post-natal depression following the birth of her twins in 2014, and wanted to use her experience to connect with other parents who may be experiencing similar issues or simply wanted to make a friend.
Where are you based?
Our service covers Norfolk.
What services do you offer and who do you support?
Our team of volunteer Ambassadors host informal social meets across Norfolk for parents and carers and their children.
The GMOTFW Hub opened its doors to the public in April 2022. Located in Lakenham, but open to the Norwich and Norfolk wide community, offering a safe, welcoming space for parents to connect with others. We run a free programme of events throughout the week, plus the hub is open for drop in each weekday from 10am to 2pm. One-to-one Peer Support is also available to those struggling with their mental health.
What do you find most rewarding about running your service?
Making a difference to the lives of parents in Norfolk. Seeing our Volunteers improve in confidence and go on to find employment, some within the perinatal field.
How might it be helpful to you and your organisation to come together as a wider VCSE perinatal mental health community and work more closely?
It is always great to learn from other organisations to improve our services.
If money and resources were no issue and you could wave a magic wand and change any part of your service - what would you change and why?
I would increase our staff numbers, so that we could recruit a greater number of volunteers to help reduce social isolation amongst all parents in Norfolk.
If you could give all parents a super power, what would it be and why?
To not be affected by such little amounts of sleep you get when you have a newborn.
Anything you'd like to tell us about your service or organisation? Any recent wins or things to celebrate?
Last year we were lucky enough to secure our first hub, to enable parents to come together in a safe, welcoming space.