About The Wider Circle

Over the winter of 1997-98, a small cross-community group of people met voluntarily in Twin Spires Counselling Facility, Belfast. Many were counsellors. Some were not. All shared a common interest in helping people who had experienced trauma.

A tentative and initial programme called "The Wider Circle" was supplied and all agreed to put themselves through the course with a view to re-designing it as a pilot group.

Two separate courses were run in tandem by two different facilitators, one on Tuesday nights, and the other on Wednesday nights. The final design represents the combined work of both groups.

Very quickly it became apparent that the volunteers on both courses had suffered their own personal traumas. This meant that the original idea of helping family and friends was gradually replaced by all becoming a self-help group for those concerned.

And while some people dropped out over the winter months, departures seemed triggered by external events, and not by reason of the programme or its participants.

Those on both courses who completed the current design eventually decided to amalgamate and to form one group - now called, "The Wider Circle" - and to adopt the final programme as their own. In this sense, the programme could be said to have been designed by the traumatized for the traumatized.

The Wider Circle is a voluntary organisation and a registered charity. The management committee is made up of representatives from the community, voluntary and statutory sectors.