First of all, thank you to everyone who has contacted us to confirm they’ll be coming to our summer meet-up in Leeds on 11 July. If you haven’t already downloaded your invitation, please do so as it contains all the information you need.

Our meet-ups are an important feature of FirstSigns, our members and our community; so for those of you who haven’t been to one before, we thought we’d share with you the ways in which you might benefit by joining us in Leeds.

First of all, our meet-ups are fun! We’re not there to talk about self-injury – self-injury is only a small part of who we are as people, and our meet-ups are about the rest of us. So it’s great finding other things we have in common and chatting about the fun stuff in our lives – the healthy, happy stuff that really makes us who we are.

Also, our meet-ups are a great way to meet with the people you’ve got to know online, including Wedge and myself, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. But even if you don’t really know anyone yet, then they’re a perfect opportunity to meet new people and possibly even make new friends – and unlike internet friendships, you get to meet the real people straight away, and in a safe environment.

Of course, attending a meet-up is not easy. I’ve been to several and I guarantee I’ll still be nervous on 11 July, so I know how daunting it can feel – especially if it’s your first time. It takes courage to travel, courage to get yourself to a venue and meet a group of people, none of whom you may have met before. But your bravery will be worth it once you settle down with a drink and relax into the experience. And you don’t need to come alone – everyone is welcome to bring a friend, partner or family member with them if they wish.

All our meet-ups are different. They’re held in different locations and different people attend; but even after a relatively quiet meet-up, people always rave about how good it was to share time, space and ideas with other FirstSigns members.

So if you can be in Leeds on 11 July, then do download an invitation and pop along to join us. If you’re on Facebook you can join our Event and see some of the other people attending.

If you’re coming along, or if you have any questions or concerns before deciding, then please do email me Jules@FirstSigns.org.uk and I’ll do my best to reassure you. Or if you follow our Twitter, then send us an @ or DM.

We look forward to meeting you.

Wedge and Jules