Inspirational Lutterworth mum sets up group for parents and carers of children with mental health issues

An inspiring mum is setting up a new special support group in Lutterworth for parents and carers looking after children with mental health issues.

Lisa Nelson, 49, is acting after helping to care for her struggling teenage daughter for several years.

Now she’s extending the hand of friendship and support to other mums, dads and carers in the same challenging position throughout the Lutterworth and Broughton Astley areas of Harborough district.

“I’ve been dealing with my youngest daughter’s various mental health challenges and battles over the last few years now.

“She’s 15 now and began to struggle when she started a new school here in Lutterworth,” said Lisa, a carer.

“She was very badly bullied at school and relentlessly tormented on social media as well.

“As a result she’s suffered from severe anxiety and her behaviour inevitably suffered as well.

“So we’ve been working closely with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team here to help her and they’ve been excellent.

“She’s now going to a new specialist school in Leicester and she’s progressing much better there,” said the single mum-of-five.

“It’s not always easy to talk to even your best friends and family about things as sensitive and personal as this.

“So I reached out on Facebook to other parents and people in the same boat as me just a few weeks ago.

“And I was amazed but pleased to quickly get over 40 messages back from people in the Lutterworth and Broughton Astley areas.

“They were all from women except for just one single dad.

“On the back of such a positive response I decided that it would be good to start our own support group and get together now and again,” said Lisa, who tragically lost her daughter Shannon, nine, in a fatal car crash with her dad Martin in Lutterworth 18 years ago.

“We have started to regularly meet up at the Wycliffe Rooms in Lutterworth for a cuppa and a natter.

“And it’s really starting to take off.

“It’s so draining, absolutely exhausting, to look after children and teenagers who are suffering mentally and emotionally.

“We all need to take a step back at times to get our breath back and recharge our own batteries.

“It’s been so good to sit down and chat and support each other.

“I’d say to people out there – you are not alone.

“We are here to get behind you and go forward together,” said Lisa, who’s planning to stage a charity ball in November.

“It’s empowering to get together and have a really good talk about how we’re all getting on and coping.

“And it’s especially critical that we do that after being caught up in the Covid pandemic for the last couple of years and isolated even more to an extent.

“So I’d call on anyone across the Lutterworth and Broughton Astley areas who’d like to come along and join us and make brilliant new friends to get in touch with us now.”

You can contact Lisa through her Facebook page – under her maiden name of Lisa Mabbett – or by emailing her at [email protected]