PEM Friends Zoom calls

PEM FRIENDS ZOOM CALLS

March 2020. Lockdown. People were becoming isolated and those who were immunosuppressed more than many.

 

PEM Council were concerned about their friends with an even bigger than ever reason for not going out. A faulty immune system in the midst of an epidemic is a cause of huge anxiety and people needed information, advice and someone to talk to.

 

That’s how our weekly Zoom calls started. We weren’t sure if they would work or not, but we quickly realised how much people wanted to “meet” with others in a similar situation. They were an opportunity to realise that they weren’t alone.

 

The only “rules” were that the meetings were entirely confidential and the topics discussed whatever the attendees brought.

 

Over the years since, the numbers calling in have gradually reduced and the resources to run the sessions are still quite high - someone needs to issue the invitation to both the Facebook and Mail audiences and to host the meetings, managing and setting up the Zoom details.

 

We also realised that the range of issues specific to particular AIBD diseases wasn’t getting the time to be aired on a Thursday lunchtime.

 

As a consequence, the regular meetings on a Thursday lunchtime have reduced to a fortnightly meeting and disease specific Zooms have been set up.

 

These disease focussed Zooms (Pemphigus, BP and MMP) have now been run. They aim to be once a month or so and, due to input from you, they are evening sessions so more people are able to attend.

 

We hope that these Zoomie conversations are able to continue. A lot depends on whether they get enough people calling in to warrant the efforts of setting them up and hosting them. They are for YOU and the measure of how beneficial they are is the number of people who call in.

 

Invitations are via e-mail to those people on our mailing list who have expressed an interest in the particular AIBD being discussed. You can ensure you get an invite by being registered. https://www.pemfriends.org.uk/join-our-mailing-list