The Wren Project to offer group listening sessions for people with autoimmune disease
The Wren Project is expanding its listening support to include group sessions for people living with autoimmune disease (AID).
Launching in June 2025, the UK charity will offer listening support for people living in difficulty with an autoimmune disease diagnosis in a weekly, small group format. Sessions will allow individuals the space to talk openly about how their disease is affecting their lives and hear the experiences and difficulties of others, in a confidential and safe environment.
Group sessions, which will be led by two experienced volunteers, will offer six to eight individuals per group the chance to explore how their disease is affecting their lives. Support will run online, via Zoom, for seven weeks. Sessions will last for up to 90 minutes.
Kate Middleton, CEO of the Wren Project, said the move will “create more spaces for individuals to feel heard, understood and supported in a collective human experience.”
“We are excited to explore the power of group listening support after a successful pilot in 2024,” she said.
“For individuals living with AID, it will allow them the opportunity to share their own stories and hear other’s mutual and individual, lived experiences of autoimmune disease.”
She continued: “Through group support and our core one-to-one listening support service, we are furthering our mission to bring support to the six million people in the UK currently living with autoimmune disease.”
The Wren Project’s group listening support begins on Tuesday June 3, 2025, with a second group on Saturday June 7, 2025. Subsequent groups will be available to join until the end of August. We are now accepting applications.
The Wren Project offers free listening support to people living with autoimmune diseases throughout the UK. Our aim is to reduce the loneliness, grief and isolation felt by many following a life-changing diagnosis. The support we provide is free, remote and available to anyone over the age of 18.
We recruit and train empathetic volunteers with a desire to support others during a difficult time in their lives. Thanks to their dedication, we can help navigate the challenges of an autoimmune disease diagnosis together.
To apply for group support at the Wren Project, you simply need to:
Have a diagnosed AID;
Be open to talking about your experience with AID;
Be open to hearing others experiences of living with AID;
Be based in the UK, have access to the internet and be happy to join a video call (group calls are run over Zoom);
Have a private and quiet space in which to join calls;
Happy to commit to the seven week session period.
How to apply:
You can apply for our group support, here https://www.wrenproject.org/apply-for-support. Simply select ‘interested in group support’ on the application form. A member of our team will be in touch with you to discuss further.