Making lifestyle changes can feel easier when you’re not doing it alone.

The Eat Real Food Patient Support Group is a welcoming community of people who want to improve their health through real food and sustainable lifestyle changes.

This is a patient-led group, facilitated by Millie Barnes, a Public Health Collaboration Ambassador and Health Coach, who brings both professional knowledge and personal experience of improving health through lifestyle change.

What the Group Offers

The group provides a space to:

• Share ideas, experiences, and practical tips
• Learn from others on a similar health journey
• Build confidence in making lifestyle changes
• Stay motivated and supported
• Make small, manageable changes over time

Many people find that community support makes healthy changes easier to maintain.

The sessions are relaxed, informal, and supportive, and everyone is encouraged to take part in whatever way feels comfortable.

Who Is It For?

The group is open to anyone interested in improving their health through lifestyle changes, including people who:

• Want to lose weight to improve health
• Have prediabetes or diabetes
• Want to improve blood pressure or metabolic health
• Are looking for peer support and encouragement

This is a patient-for-patient group, where everyone is learning together.

When and Where

Weekly sessions: Thursdays (currently via Zoom)

Face-to-face sessions:
Aspen Centre meeting room (2nd floor), 6:00pm–8:00pm

2026 dates:

• 8 January
• 12 February
• 12 March
• 16 April
• 14 May
• 11 June
• 23 July

A Community Approach to Health

Improving health happens one step at a time, one meal at a time.
The group focuses on building healthier habits gradually, learning together, and supporting each other through challenges and successes.

Even long-standing members say they continue to learn something new each time they attend.

Interested in joining?

To find out more or join a session, please email:
aspen.diabetes@nhs.net

You’ll be warmly welcomed.

‘The group provides a place of support information and sharing research suggests lifestyle changes are managed better when groups available’

‘Holistically the support I have received has been transformative and sustained. Communitive support is useful through text and frequent face to face engagement. Particularly helpful to have ongoing support as my transformation continues. Would not have achieved this otherwise.’

‘I'm really grateful that the team at Aspen have given me the tools to transform my health and the practical support from the Eat real food group which has helped me, 16months into my journey I'm in diabetic remission, I no longer have high cholesterol, my high blood pressure is lowering and I'm 4.5 stones lighter and I've gone back to swimming 3-4 times a week. The low carb way of life is simple to follow to keep me healthy long term. So, thank-you.’

‘When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I was asked to attend the two-week course. I thought I ate quite healthy, but in the first session with Dr Kuok it really opened my eyes to where I was going wrong. Firstly how carbs were a no no,   I used to have potatoes, rice, pasta, now substitute with the green/amber list detailed in the very good booklet which is given to you at the sessions, diet drinks, I used have Diet Coke, and info on sweeteners, processed/diet foods, usually adding sugar to improve taste, and advantages of eating  full fat foods, which you should be eating etc. You are also given a device to be able to keep a check on your blood sugars which had been very helpful and are able to see where you are going wrong with foods. The course was fantastic and would definitely recommend it, which I’ve done. I attended the Thursday evening sessions and found them very supportive. Listening to other people’s concerns and being able to express yours is a real help. The what’s app group again fantastic, the support, recipes, diabetes information is so informative. Again, you don’t feel that you are on your own with it. I would personally like to thank you Millie for your time and effort you put into the what’s app group. Thankyou.’

‘Very useful sessions as I am no longer prediabetes. My new blood test is 39Hbtc Thank you Millie and Matt I appreciate all your efforts I do not take these for granted God bless you’