Online Support Groups FAQs

What is the purpose of a support group? / Are support groups the same as (group) therapy?

The groups all have a different purpose, but the overall aim is always to improve lung function and to meet other people who have lung conditions.

What happens once I register for a support group?

You will receive an email from Zoom with registration details. You should be able to add the event to your calendar, where it will create a meeting appointment. We will send you a reminder email before the session, so don’t worry if you lose the email! If you don’t receive a reminder email, you can always email us at supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk.

Please note: we don’t send reminder emails for our Monday Singing sessions and our Friday Zumba sessions. If you have lost the link, please email us at supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk and we can resend you the link.

I’ve never used Zoom before, can I still join?

Of course! You don’t need to download Zoom before the session but you might want to. You can find instructions on how to do that here.

Will I need to have my camera and microphone on?

We encourage attendees to have their cameras on so we can check you’re okay. However, this is not mandatory.

How many people usually attend the group?

Most of our groups have 15-30 attendees per session.

Can I send a question before the live session?

Of course! You can email any questions to supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk.

Can I attend the support group if I am abroad?

Yes of course, but please remember that any health advice may be UK-specific.

How can I determine if I am a good fit for a support group?

You can come along and see if you like it! If you have any specific questions you can email supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk.

What happens if I miss a session?

Some of our sessions are drop-ins – feel free to attend as many or as few as you like. Some of our sessions are in blocks of 4 or 6. Please try and attend all the sessions if you’re doing a block of sessions. We appreciate that you may miss a session or two, so please don’t worry if you do, just turn up to the next session when you can.

What happens if I’m late to a session?

Please try to be on time, as we may not be able to let you in to the meeting if the activity or presentation has already started.

Will I be required to share my personal experiences during the sessions?

No. Sharing is not mandatory and lots of our attendees come along to listen, especially at first. You may not feel comfortable sharing your personal experiences and that’s fine, no one will pressure you to share. Also, we always remind attendees at the start of the session that anything disclosed within the group is confidential and remains in the group.

Who leads the support groups? Are there medical professionals present?

One of the support group team or a volunteer with lived experience will host the meeting, and will often be accompanied by a trained respiratory professional and/or the session leader. Who the session leader is depends on the type of session you have signed up for. It could be a singing for lung health instructor, a pulmonary rehab specialist, or a nurse. For more information about your group specifically, you can email supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk.

How do I sign up for a support group?

For most of our sessions, you can sign up via the webpage link. For a couple of our sessions, you might have to email us or our volunteer session leader. All the details should be on the group page, but if you have any trouble registering for a session, please email us at supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk.

What can I expect during my first support group session?

This depends on the session in question, but you can expect to meet lots of friendly people with lung conditions and one or two staff members or volunteers from Asthma + Lung UK, who can help you settle in!

How often do the support groups meet?

That depends on the session. Some of our groups are weekly, some are monthly. If you’re unsure how often your group meets, you can check the webpage or email us at supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk.

Do I require previous singing or harmonica experience to join those support groups?

Not at all! Beginners are welcome and encouraged. You will be on mute the whole time, so there is no need to feel shy. We have a real mix of ability levels in our groups, that’s half the fun!

Where can I find the Zoom joining link for the support group sessions?

When you register for a group, you will receive an email from Zoom with your personalised joining link. If you don’t receive this email for any reason or can't find it, please email us at supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk and we will help.

Are the support group sessions free, or do I need to pay a fee?

All our sessions are free, but donations are always welcome!

Will the support group sessions be recorded for later viewing?

We don’t record our group sessions in order to protect the privacy of our attendees and to ensure that people feel comfortable, relaxed, and able to share.

How frequently do I need to attend the support group sessions?

If you sign up for a block of sessions, please try to attend all of the sessions in the block (either 4 or 6 depending on the course). If you’re attending one of our monthly groups, feel free to drop in whenever you like, or cherry-pick the sessions that appeal to you!

What if I miss the registration deadline for a support group?

We run all our groups on a rolling basis, so check our website for updates or email supportgroups@asthmaandlung.org.uk to be added to a waiting list.

What if I am not fluent in English?

You can turn on closed captions in Zoom to help:

In the meeting controls toolbar, next to the Show Captions icon, click the up arrow icon .
Click Speaking language, then select a language.
On the pop-up, confirm the language you want to set as the spoken language, then click Save.

Zoom will transcribe captions in the chosen language for all participants.

What if I have trouble hearing?