Holding Space: Where Parent Peer Support Brings Understanding, Empathy and Hope
15th December 2025
Author EditorPosted on Categories Charity
Award-winning charity Holding Space is redefining parent mental health support through lived experience and peer-led care.
Holding Space didn’t begin as a grand project, it began simply as me, a parent trying to hold my family together while navigating mental-health challenges no one seemed to understand. I was juggling appointments, school issues, sleepless nights, worry and guilt and all the while, feeling utterly alone. What I needed was not another professional telling me to go on a parenting course, but a gentle, human voice: “You’re not alone. I see you.”
That longing for connection became the seed for Holding Space.
What started as heartfelt conversations on Facebook, has grown into a charity rooted in lived experience. One that is committed to putting parents/carers at the heart of family mental health. Because when a parent is supported, the whole family has a chance to heal and thrive.
Holding Space provides parent/carer peer support to families, across Sussex, whose children and young people are struggling with life; emotional and mental health challenges. We provide a safe, non-judgemental space where parents/carers can talk openly about what they’re going through. Whether it’s attending support groups, receiving 1:1 peer support, or empowering them with the tools and knowledge they need to look after their child, everything we do carries the message I once desperately needed: You matter too.
“Before I found Holding Space, I felt like I was drowning. Now, I finally have someone who understands; not just my child, but me too.”
The urgent need behind the work
Our mission is shaped by lived experiences and supported by national data:
Children whose parents experience long-term depression are significantly more likely to develop mental-health challenges themselves.
A 2023 UK parent survey found that nearly 1:4 parents reported that their children missed school due to mental health struggles.
These numbers reflect the urgent reality we see daily: when parents struggle, the consequences ripple through the entire family. Peer support, built on shared experience, isn’t a “nice-to-have,” it’s essential.
“I didn’t realise how much weight I was carrying until I could talk to someone who had been there.
Parent peer support: changing the system from within
Over the years, I’ve worked with NHS Trusts and colleagues in mental health to bring parent/carer peer support from the margins to the centre. I was proud to contribute to the UK’s first competency training framework for parent/carer peer supporters, ensuring peer support is recognised, professional, and effective.
This is critical because too often, parents are seen only in relation to their children. We believe it must be the other way around: children’s wellbeing starts with supported, healthy parents.
When people ask, “What difference does Holding Space make?”, I don’t point to numbers I point to moments:
The parent who walks into a group for the first time and finally exhales.
The quiet tears when someone realises they don’t have to carry everything alone.
The parent who feels truly seen, heard and connected.
“It’s not just advice or guidance. It’s knowing someone really sees you. That makes all the difference.”
Looking ahead: building a more compassionate future
We’re not just supporting families, we’re advocating for systemic change. We’re working with organisations and workplaces to recognise parent mental health as a societal issue, not just a personal one. Because when parents are supported, children, communities and workplaces all benefit.
My lived experience remains at the heart of everything we do. It keeps our work human and reminds us that no parent should have to navigate their child’s mental health alone.
Holding Space isn’t just a charity. It’s a community built on compassion, understanding, and authenticity. A promise that every parent/carer, every family, deserves to be seen, heard, and supported. With empathy, honesty and hope.
You too can make a difference by getting involved; become a Trustee, volunteer, invite us to talk in your workplace or host a fundraising event.
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