Support for Adults with the Wren Project
Compassionate listening support for people living with autoimmune disease
Living with an autoimmune condition is life-changing.
Many adults feelings of hopelessness, despair, isolation and frustration as they try to manage symptoms, medical appointments and the mental, physical and emotional impact on their daily lives. The Wren Project offers free online listening support for adults across the UK who are living with a wide range of immune related conditions, including lupus, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, immune thrombocytopenia, inflammatory and immune mediated conditions, or rarer autoimmune illnesses.
We are not here to give disease-specific advice. Instead, we create supportive spaces where you can talk openly about how your disease is affecting your life. You might be grappling with difficult symptoms, such as fatigue and pain, or struggling to cope with the loneliness and isolation caused by your condition. Our volunteers are trained in empathetic listening, offering you regular spaces to share all that you are dealing with.
What to expect:
One to one listening support
One to one sessions pair you with a trained volunteer who meets with you on an online call once a fortnight, for up to fifty minutes. These conversations give you space to talk about whatever is on your mind, whether that is stress around managing your autoimmune disease, grief for the life you expected, painful and debilitating symptoms., or frustration and sadness that others do not fully understand what you are experiencing.
Your volunteer does not try to fix or interpret your experiences. Instead, they listen with warmth and curiosity.
Our Wrens, people we support, say compassionate listening support can be life-changing during a difficult period in the lives.
The Wren project offers free compassionate listening support. We offer one-to-one support sessions and group listening, with sessions running once a fortnight. All of our support is held online, meaning you can join from anywhere across the UK.
Our support is available to anyone over the age of 18 living with a diagnosed autoimmune disease. Many people who seek our support are living with the fear, uncertainty and challenges caused by their autoimmune disease. We create safe, supportive spaces for people to talk openly and honestly about how their disease is affecting their life.
One to one support is suitable for anyone living in difficulty with a diagnosed autoimmune disease. You might reach out for support if you:
are newly diagnosed or living through a difficult period with your AID;
are experiencing feelings of overwhelm, depression, hopelessness or isolation as a result of your disease;
feel uncertain about your future and grieving the life you once had;
wish to talk openly and honestly about how you are feeling, in a safe and confidential space.
living in difficulty with a diagnosed autoimmune disease.
Group support for adults
How our support helps
The impact of an autoimmune disease diagnosis on a person's life is devastating. Our Wrens report feelings of hopelessness, isolation, grief and loneliness as a result of their diagnosis. Many feel they do not have anyone to turn to and fear burdening family and friends with the truth of what they are experiencing.
At the Wren Project, we offer safe and supportive spaces for individuals to talk freely about what they are experiencing. From the grief over the lives they had, to fears for the future, to the pain, frustration and hopelessness they may be feeling.
Our mission is to create community for people living in difficulty as a result of their autoimmune disease.
Our Listening Volunteers
Our listening support is delivered by volunteers trained in compassionate listening support. They do not have to have any experience of autoimmune disease to support, but instead be warm, empathetic people looking to support another.
Group sessions bring together adults from across the UK who are living with the mental and emotional impact of living with chronic, autoimmune disease. Groups meet online and offer a safe, trusted and supportive space where you can share your experiences openly, without judgement and listen to others who face similar challenges.
These are gentle, human conversations, not medical discussions. People talk about how their condition affects their work, family life, confidence, or mental wellbeing. You might hear others describe the strain of managing symptoms, the weight of stress on autoimmunity, or the uncertainty, feelings of hopelessness and isolation that comes with conditions such as lupus, coeliac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and many others.
Many find comfort in the community our small groups offer, along with understanding from others living with different autoimmune diseases.
Groups consist of six to eight people and are run by two lead volunteers.
Group support can help if you are experiencing:
The complexities of an autoimmune disease and the impact on your mental, physical and emotional health;
feelings of hopelessness, isolation and loneliness as a result of your autoimmune condition;
