This campaign has now closed
We are raising funds to help us hit our ambitious target: by December 2024 we want to have supported 1,000 people living with autoimmune disease. This campaign will allow us to rapidly expand our 121 service providing free mental health support across the UK to those living with chronic autoimmune.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
In the UK, 7% or 4 million people live with at least one autoimmune disease. They are poorly understood; at present, there are no cures. For people diagnosed, a lifetime of management, side-effects of medication, health complications, and pain lies ahead. Psychological and emotional impact of a diagnosis can be chronic and life-changing. There is no mental health support offered for people living with autoimmune disease: 66% say they have mental health problems as a result of their illness.
Solution
The Wren Project was born in response to this unmet psychological need. We are the only organisation in the UK to provide free, ongoing, 1-1 listening support for individuals diagnosed with autoimmune disease. Volunteers are trained to listen without offering judgement or advice. This empathic listening provides space for individuals to feel heard as they navigate a new, life-changing diagnosis. We know that facing an autoimmune disease is easier when you have someone to talk to.
