Make a Referral
We help people who are quiet, sensitive, shy or feeling socially anxious to make meaningful connections and find greater fulfilment in life so they can flourish as their true selves.
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FAQs
What services do you provide?
- We run free Meet Ups in Cornwall every week - you can find a Meet Up near you here. These weekly Meet Ups are fully funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
- In addition, we run an online programme for quiet confidence and wellbeing which opens for registration once a year. Please advise anyone interested in this to subscribe to our newsletter here for up-to-date information.
- We can also provide bespoke workshops - drop us a message to discuss this at hello@quietconnections.co.uk.
How can I refer someone to one of your Meet Ups?
- The easiest way is to signpost them to their local Meet Up page on our website here. This page gives them a lot of information about the group to help them decide if it’s right for them and put them at ease. From there, they can sign up using the form on that page, which automatically notifies the Meet Up leader about their intent to join so that they can reach out to them (usually by email) to say a hello and ask if they have any questions or want a chat for some reassurance.
- Alternatively, you can contact us via meetups@quietconnections.co.uk if you would like to discuss your referral directly.
- If you'd like to come along to a session with someone you're supporting, this is welcome too.
How can I refer someone to you for coaching?
We are currently not taking new referrals for coaching. We hope to resume this service soon.
Are the Meet Ups suitable for the person I'm working with?
Our Quiet Meet Ups are here for people who consider themselves to be introverted, sensitive, shy or feel socially anxious. These groups are for over 18s, and people of all genders and ages attend.
It's okay if the person you're working with might just want to sit quietly, or even read a book in good company. There's no expectation to make conversation and everyone is invited to go at their own pace. This is explicit on our Meet Up pages, so please make sure you direct the person you're supporting there for more information.
These groups are about having a safe space to simply be with other quiet natured people, and to gain greater self-acceptance and confidence in their social abilities, but it's not a place to learn social skills.
Is coaching suitable for the person I'm working with?
One-to-one coaching is for people who have a desire to create change for themselves in their lives and want to improve their wellbeing, explore their purpose or make a greater contribution to the world in a way that honours their quiet nature.
They must be willing to commit to the coaching process and be ready to explore their thoughts, feelings and behaviours and make positive changes in order to move forwards in their life.
Our personalised coaching programmes help people with:
- Reconnecting with their inner knowing and who they truly are; gaining clarity of their sense of purpose and what’s important to them
- Recognising their value and capability; exploring their unique ability to express themselves and create change
- Accessing the calm, courage and self-belief within them; taking meaningful steps towards a life that feels more fulfilling.
*We are unable to take new coaching referrals at this time. We hope to resume this service soon.
The person I'd like to refer feels very anxious, how will you make an introduction?
When you refer someone to us, we first like to connect with them by text message or email (unless you tell us differently) because we find most people are happier hearing from us this way to begin with. We usually include a link to our profile with a little of our story so they know who they're talking to - this really helps to develop psychological safety right at the start. We'll then explore their preferences and needs.
If they want a phone call for a brief chat to put their mind at ease, we'll call them. If they want to come along to a Meet Up but want us to meet them outside, this can be arranged. We can also meet a quieteer 1:1 in-person before they join a Meet Up too. And of course, we purposefully include enough information on our website and in our emails to give someone a clear picture of what will be happening to help them feel more comfortable.
Where can I download your referral form?
You can download our referral form here and return to the email address listed on the form.
Can you run a workshop for a group of people at my organisation?
Yes, we love to collaborate and have designed and delivered quiet confidence and wellbeing workshops and courses for a number of organisations in the past, from providing social anxiety training for Student Liaison Officers; running self-care workshops for Positive People participants and imposterism workshops for Law Students.
We’ll be excited to explore ideas with you. Drop Stacie message a message at hello@quietconnections.co.uk so we can explore possibilities together.
I am working with someone who is interested in volunteering with Quiet Connections, can this be arranged?
We’re always pleased to hear from lovely volunteers in our local community. If you think someone you are working with might like to help us run a Meet Up or get involved with Quiet Connections in another way, please contact Hayley at hello@quietconnections.co.uk. We’ll be happy to explore options with you and/or the person you’re working with.
What free resources can I signpost to?
Our free support includes:
- Weekly Meet Ups are fully funded by The National Lottery Community Fund - you can find out more here.
- The Quiet Connections podcast and blog.
- Our Facebook group to share questions and stories with people on the same path -and our team of Coaches are there replying too.
What referrers are saying
"Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change have been working with Quiet Connections for a couple of years now. Their vision of changing the culture of shame around being quiet is greatly needed in today’s society where so many are feeling not good enough. The coaching and group sessions Quiet Connections have run has helped individuals we are working with to learn new coping strategies, reframe their thinking and love themselves for who they are. The events and exhibitions they have run have given people the chance to feel proud of what they’ve created as they see it shared professionally in a public forum. It has been great having a partnership with Quiet Connections and knowing there is a community to plug people into where quietness is celebrated and people can gently grow in confidence."
Mike Partridge
"I have referred many patients to Quiet Connections in Falmouth for support with isolation, anxiety and practice in growing social confidence in a safe and friendly environment. Quiet Connections groups offer an easy to access service, meeting people where they are at and allowing clients to progress in their own time. Whilst offering opportunity for peer support or 1:1 conversations, the group also allows clients to practice engaging in creative workshops or testing their boundaries attending trips to explore new places.
The service provision can complement other support that clients are involved with by working alongside and adding an extra layer of support by providing encouragement and guidance.
Quiet Connections have a wider mental health perspective by pioneering change in the perception of shyness. They provide several other services including coaching, self-help resources, quiet get togethers and confidence workshops all adding to the aim of ‘reframing quiet’. Their approach is empowering and educational and I believe that the work that they are doing is changing people’s attitudes. Currently in Falmouth we have very few groups where people can meet in a safe environment for peer support and to practice socialising – with no other group that caters specifically for those who identify as ‘shy’ or ‘introverted’. There is no support for people who need to gain confidence in public settings which would then enable them to attend appointments, interviews or activities which will benefit their health and wellbeing in the long term.
Feedback from patients that I have referred has been positive, including reflections on the teams’ kind hearted and passionate nature. Having facilitators who have lived experience with managing social anxiety or confidence issues allows for deeper connections and a greater understanding of client need and knowledge of support."
Jess Merivale
"Quiet Connections have been amazing to work with, Stacie and Julie’s engaging, relatable approach put everyone at ease straight away. The sessions were informative, relaxing and really enjoyable. Positive People are looking forward to working with them again, our participants gained so much, everyone felt included."
Gina Sherman
“I run a Loneliness project in the Kerrier district of Cornwall where people get referred to the project if they are identified as feeling lonely and/or socially isolated. I receive referrals form Social Prescribing Link Workers, Housing, Occupation Therapists, Dementia Nurses to name but a few. I also accept self-referrals. The idea is that I can find out about their present and past interests and signpost them to activities and groups in their local area to hopefully engage them in the local community and help alleviate the feelings of loneliness.
It can be hard to identify people who are lonely as by definition they are not usually engaging with services or groups so can be hidden and excluded from society.
Once I meet with the individuals it becomes apparent quickly that there are many other issues that have led to them feeling lonely and/or isolated. Mental Health being one of the biggest issues. The majority of people I work with struggle with anxiety and/or depression so the thought of attending any groups or volunteering terrifies them. Part of my role is that I can take them for the first few times to any group they would like to attend which hopefully helps with the initial anxiety of going somewhere new.
I have taken a number of people to Quiet Connections and I have to say this group is amazing. It offers something that no other group I know of does. And that’s a space for the individual with no forced expectations. They are so aware that just coming to a group may have taken every bit of energy and confidence a person has. It is a place where people can gently connect with like-minded people at their own pace in a place where it's ok to talk, but it’s equally ok to be quiet too. So many other groups have expectations, no matter how small, and this can put pressure on people. This group will gently support individuals and work with them to choose healthy coping strategies and also just give them a space for them to be accepted for who they are.
This group is an important part of the local community and certainly provides a service that has been missing and I know that many other project workers and services have referred people to this amazing project.”
Leanna Cox
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