That's how Geoff Whale describes the move to form a support group in the Manning area, with meetings to be held on the first Friday of each month at the Taree Presbyterians Hall in Albert Street.

People with Parkinson's disease and their partners/carers are encouraged to attend a support group meeting - "Go once and make up your own mind. There are people who really, really should be at these meetings," Geoff Whale said.

He explains that people with Parkinson's tend to stay at home and become isolated. So rather than taking them out of their own "comfort zone", group meetings will become another "comfort zone".

Geoff says the information available at these meetings, through Parkinson's NSW, is invaluable. It provides people with the opportunity to share experiences and hear from neurologists and other specialists.

Geoff was tasked by Port Macquarie Parkinson's NSW nurse Rachael Mackinnon to organise a meeting in Taree to form a local support group. Rachael is employed under a co-funded position between the Mid North Coast Local Health District and Parkinson's NSW.

"After my role was launched here I received a number of calls from people in the Taree/Forster area (currently 22 people) who are in the Hunter New England health district, requesting assistance and support for their diagnosis of Parkinson's disease," said Rachael.

"Many travelled up to Port for consults, noting it was easier than travelling to Newcastle or Sydney."

She said as the numbers started to grow she asked Geoff about the possibility of starting a support group in Taree, and he agreed. Geoff has been enthusiastically working to organise guest speakers with topics of interest and discussion. John Stevens from Kinetic Medicine was the guest speaker at last Friday's inaugural meeting.

"We encourage those people to come and meet people like them." Parkinson's symptoms can vary widely but all sufferers have things in common, he said.

For more information contact Rachael Mackinnon by email Rachel.Mackinnon@health.nsw.gov.au or phone 0428 088 756.

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month.