Group Support with the Wren Project
Connect with others living with autoimmune diseases in a safe and supportive space
Living with an autoimmune condition can feel incredibly isolating.
Our free online group sessions bring people together from across the UK who are living with conditions such as autoimmune hepatitis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, scleroderma, or Sjögren’s.
Groups provide a steady, supportive space where you can share experiences, listen to others, and feel understood. Sessions are led by trained volunteers who listen with warmth and care. We do not offer medical advice or try to fix things. We listen and quietly support so you can connect with others living through a difficult period of their lives with their autoimmune disease.
What group support looks like
Sessions take place online, making them easy to join from anywhere in the UK. Our listening groups consist of six to eight people, led by two trained volunteers.
Group support is an opportunity to meet others with shared, lived experience of autoimmune disease to talk openly and honestly about their experiences, without fear of judgment.
Why join a Wren group
Group support offers individuals a chance to connect with others living in a period of difficulty as a result of their autoimmune disease. Meeting others in a safe and confidential environment, you are given the opportunity to talk through your individual lived experiences with other people who understand.
Who our groups are for
Group support is available to anyone in the UK aged 18 or over living with autoimmune disease. You may be newly diagnosed and searching for understanding, or you may have lived with your condition for years and want connection. Groups bring together people from many parts of the UK who share a deep understanding of long-term illness.
“I’ve never met anyone who suffers like me. To be recognised by others who truly know what it’s been like for me has been such a support to me.”
How group support helps
People often describe feeling seen, heard and understood, thanks to group listening support. Listening and hearing from others living with a range of autoimmune diseases can help reduce feelings of isolation, hopelessness and loneliness.
You. might talk about how your disease affects your relationships, work, or confidence. You will hear from others living with the uncertainty of their diagnosis.
All groups are facilitated by volunteers trained in compassionate listening support. They quietly support the group, for individuals to talk openly about their experiences.
