ABSTRACT
Voluntary groups have emerged since the beginning of World War II, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, composed almost entirely of disfigured people. This chapter describes the origins of these groups, the purposes for which they were established and are maintained, and the activities which they undertake. A dissenting voice in the positive rating of mutual help groups is the Disfigurement Guidance Centre in Cupar, Fife. As with the welfare element of the Guinea Pig Club, some help and some are helped; the mutuality in that instance lay in the preparedness of all members to help if called upon. The Trusts’ experience of mutual support groups goes back to the early 1970s, when they set up such a group in Glasgow. If members wish, they can participate in a local group, but only if they choose to: Everyone is different, and no pressure is put on friends to attend meetings or make any commitment.
