Support groups

Support groups bring together people who share common experiences, conditions, concerns, goals or interests. They offer people an opportunity to improve their quality of life through mutual support and education. They can also bring about change for themselves and the wider community.

The peer support program is a service offered by Diabetes Victoria to facilitate and empower all members of diabetes support groups. The program:

• Provides information to members and the general public about Diabetes Victoria.
• Facilitates and coordinates community education forums in metropolitan Melbourne, regional and rural areas.
• Works with health care professionals including dietitians, podiatrists and diabetes educators to raise awareness of diabetes complications and management.
• Advocates for change and better lifestyle options through community support and education.

Diabetes Victoria provides insurance, small annual grants and ongoing support and resources to all peer support groups. In return, peer support groups provide their local communities with safe and friendly environments to meet and support other community members living with diabetes, while helping to raise awareness and funds for Diabetes Victoria in their local communities.

We have both type 1, type 2 and mixed peer support groups.

Diabetes Victoria Peer Support Groups Map

Please search through the map below to find a support group in your local area. Click on T1  or the T2 tile, to reveal more information about the respective type of support group in your area. Click on the M tile, to display information about peer support groups that support both type 1 and 2 diabetes. 

*Please note: Peer support groups are for adults aged 18 and over, including groups for parents and carers of people living with diabetes. For children and teenagers under 18 years of age, Diabetes Camps Victoria provide an opportunity for young people living with diabetes to connect with each other through camps and day activities. Find out more about Diabetes Camps Victoria.

*Please note: Contact details are provided for individuals seeking diabetes peer support. Organisations and other businesses must not contact group convenors for purposes of marketing or market research.

Key:
Type 1	Type 2	Mixed Group, both type 1 and 2

A Guide to Online Peer Support The ‘Guide to Online peer support’ is a new resource that will support you to use online peer support options. It shares the experiences of those who currently use online support options and the Diabetes Online Community (DOC) to understand the space and the value of peer support in the lives of people living with diabetes. The guide steps through some social media platforms, how to access online peer supports, what they look like and addresses concerns about sharing experiences online.   If you are interested in connecting in online spaces this resource is for you.

The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) is an initiative of the Australian Government and is administered by Diabetes Australia. The NDSS agent in Victoria is Diabetes Victoria. Find out more about the NDSS at ndss.com.au, the NDSS Privacy Policy or call the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700.