Virtual sessions for people with MCAS

We host regular exercise, creative and community Zoom sessions, as well as stand-alone, topical sessions.  If you have any questions, you can contact us here. You can view and book all of our virtual sessions here.  

Our virtual sessions are hosted through Zoom and are free to anyone with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or for those supporting someone living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Our sessions are only suitable to those living in the U.K, this is due to our funding and due to the differences in medical systems, benefits, treatment and medications around the world. If you live abroad you are more than welcome to explore our free resources on our website or view our videos on YouTube.

Any donations received go towards us being able to provide more virtual sessions to those in need within our community. If you are able to donate, no matter how small, it will be gratefully received. 

Accessibility

We host our sessions through Zoom, if you haven't used Zoom before and would like to learn then watch this tutorial video here. Our goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone can fully engage with our content and discussions. If you have any questions/suggestions regarding accessibility, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Your feedback helps us continually improve our efforts to ensure that all participants feel welcome and supported.

We are committed to making our virtual sessions accessible to all and we understand that some individuals experience electromagnetic sensitivity (EMF) or prefer hard copies of materials for various reasons. For individuals who prefer/require hard copies of materials, we are happy to provide alternative formats whenever possible. Please reach out to us here. We will do our utmost to assist you and ensure your experience is as comfortable as possible.

Seated Pilates

We are excited to launch our new weekly Seated Pilates sessions hosted by Leanne English from Mobilates. Join us Mondays from 10-10:30am from Monday 4th November. These sessions will be gentle, accessible seated movement classes that focus on the key principles of Pilates including alignment, breathing, focus and moving with control.

The classes will aim to help you strengthen your joints, ease your aches and pains, enable you to move more freely, and give you the confidence to show you what you can do and how you can exercise safely.  Leanne will adapt to your needs, so if you need to join us from your bed, your wheelchair or need to stand, you will be supported and encouraged to listen to your body and find a movement that works for you. 

These sessions have been made possible due to funding from Sports England. Find out more and book your place here. 

Mind to Move

Join our Mind to Move virtual dance class for people with MCAS every Tuesday from 2:30-3pm starting on Tuesday 5th November hosted by Julia James- Griffiths from Jig Dance. Find out more about Mind to Move and Julia here. 

This inclusive and gentle class helps participants move more, at their own pace, while being mindful of varying abilities and energy levels. Whether you’re able to move a little or a lot, you can join in as much as you feel comfortable. The class offers a supportive environment where everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that suits their individual needs. Let the music guide you to reconnect with your body in a fun, non-judgmental space.

These sessions have been made possible due to funding from Sports England. Find out more and book your place here. 

Virtual self-massage session with lymph drainage introduction

Due to it's popular demand, we are thrilled to announce that Ellen from Flexback will be returning to run a monthly Virtual Massage session for us. The next session will be on 13th November and you can book your place here.  

Come along, meet Ellen, and learn some self-massage techniques to help you relax and spend some time thinking about self-care. This session will also feature an introduction to lymph drainage. All techniques will be optional, so feel free to join in with the movements that you feel comfortable with.

Ellen is a qualified Level 5 BTEC Clinical Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist and specialises in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and pain – both sport and work-related.

You can read more and book your place here. 

Understanding Lyme Disease - a general introduction to Lyme

Join us on the Wednesday 20th November from 7-8pm for an informative evening session about Lyme disease hosted by Deborah Bircham. For many people, there is a significant overlap between Lyme Disease and MCAS, and Lyme can be an underlying root cause for MCAS.

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise. Lyme Disease can cause severe and long-lasting illness, yet commonly, cases do get missed. Many MCAS specialists, particularly in the US, report that chronic, undiagnosed Lyme Disease is a significant underlying driver for MCAS in many of those they work with.

Deborah is a Mindfulness teacher and Holistic Health Coach, and she specialises in supporting people with long-term health conditions through a combination of naturopathic health coaching, mindfulness and psychotherapy techniques. Find out more and book your place here. 

Nurturing Self-Compassion in Teens with MCAS

Join us on Wednesday 27th November from 10:30-11:30am for our first session for teenagers hosted by clinical psychologist Dr. PollyJames. Dr Polly is a Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years experience in the NHS. She specialises in working with children with medical conditions and their families. 

As a teenager with MCAS its easy to feel overwhelmed by the physical and emotional demands of the condition. However practicing self-compassion can be a powerful tool to help you improve your mental health and well-being. Polly will guide you through some practical tips and strategies to help you navigate the challenges of MCAS. For example, by learning to challenge negative self-talk and improving empathy for yourself.

Find out more and book your place here. 

Charity News Event

Join us on 27th November at 7-8pm for an engaging evening where we'll share updates on what we've achieved so far, unveil what's coming up, and discuss our future plans. You can book your place here.

We highly value your input, so we'll be asking for your suggestions and hosting a Q&A session to address any questions you may have. Please send any suggestions or questions in advance to faye@mastcellaction.org. Your feedback helps us make a greater impact.

The event will be hosted by Joy Mason, who many of you will already know. Joy leads the day-to-day running of our charity and brings over a decade of experience working with various charities. Living with MCAS herself and caring for two children with MCAS, Joy really understands the impact MCAS can have on our lives and hopes to ensure we deliver support to help.

Self Care for Carers

Join us on Wednesday 4th December from 7-8pm for a session based around how best to look after yourself when looking after another. 

The role of the Carer is huge in the life of the person who needs support.

Being that provider of care, for the Carer, can often be a positive and profound journey. Yet, too many times care providers put their own needs second.

Roselle O'Brien, therapist and nurse, will share insights into burnout, compassion fatigue, what they are, and how to avoid them---plus self-care strategies for your personal toolbox. Learn more about Roselle here. 

Find out more and book your place here. 

Community Stories with Ivy Lewis

Join us on Friday 6th December from 11-12pm for a Community Stories session with the inspirational Ivy Lewis. 

Rise by that which makes you fall. Ivy has lived by these words for many years, both before her diagnoses and since. Now a novelist, artist and yoga teacher (amongst other things), MCAS is a part of Ivy's life, but not her whole life.Ivy always knew she was different - weird allergic reactions as a child, hypermobility and feeling faint whenever she stood up, as well as being rubbish at sports and generally finding life a little harder than most. 

Ivy wants everyone to realise that MCAS may be part of your story, but it doesn't have to be your whole story.

Find out more and book your place here. 

How to fight on in tough times - tools and tips to foster mental resilience

Join us on Wednesday December 18th from 7-8pm for an exciting new event about improving your mental resilience hosted by Deborah Bircham. 

Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed? Do you experience difficult emotions and thoughts, and find yourself not knowing how to move through them? Difficulty is impossible to avoid in life, one way or another. Life is difficult. We will all experience suffering and pain at some point during our lives.  How we respond to it, though, makes a huge difference to our wellbeing. Luckily, there are some simple tools that can help us all to navigate life’s ups and downs more skillfully, and we are going to look at these during this talk.

Find out more and book your place here. 

Diet and MCAS Virtual Session

Join us for an informative and engaging Q&A session with Chloe Hall and Alison Holloway, two leading dietitians and experts on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). Chloe and Alison will be answering your questions on diet and MCAS. 

Chloe is a Dietitian with over 10 years of experience working in the NHS. She has also launched her own business, @‌thecalmgutdietitian, which specialises in gut health, and specifically histamine intolerance and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). 

Alison is a UK based Dietitian with over 25 years of NHS experience and currently works as a specialist diabetes dietitian in the NHS alongside running a busy private practice, ‘The Unexpected Dietitian’. 

You can read more and book your place here.

Parent and Carer Peer Support Group 

Our parent and carer peer support sessions usually run fortnightly on Wednesdays, alternating between 11am and 7pm sessions. We are in the process of arranging dates with our volunteer hosts for new sessions so keep checking here, thanks. 

Come along to connect with other parents who understand the unique challenges of raising children with MCAS or suspected MCAS.

This is a space for you to engage in open discussions, ask questions, and learn from the collective wisdom of the group.

Find out more or book your place here.

Mindfulness Drop In

Join us on Wednesdays from 1-1:30pm for a half hour session of you time to relaxed and friendly mindfulness session hosted by Ann Garratt. These sessions will be running every Wednesday till the 18th December which will be the last session for this year. 

Bring along a cuppa and get yourself comfortable, as you completely unwind, restore and feel supported. Included will be a short guided meditation, mindfulness practice or breathwork practice each week.   

Each week, Anna Garratt will guide you through a wellbeing practice. Subjects covered will include mindful awareness of the body, self-compassion, forgiveness and breathwork. 

Find out more and book your place here. 

Weekly Qigong sessions 

We are delighted to share our new weekly Qigong sessions with you! These sessions are open to anyone with MCAS or caring for someone with MCAS (or suspected MCAS).

Qigong (sometimes alternatively spelled Chi Gong or Chi Kung) is an ancient practice that makes up one of the branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, alongside acupuncture. Check out our YouTube video for more information about Qigong.

Come along and meet Duncan and enjoy a session of deep breathing, mindfulness, and removing energetic blockages, to help energy flow more smoothly throughout the body and create an overall sense of well-being. 

You can find out more about Duncan and Qigong here or book your place here. Please book a place for each session you would like to attend. 

Unleash Your Creative Spark!

Are you someone with a passion for creativity or perhaps you've been wanting to ignite that creative spark within you? Mast Cell Action are excited to share our Creatives with MCAS sessions, which on the second Tuesday of each month at11am-12pm. 

This is your chance to express your artistic talents, whether it's through the magic of poetry, the strokes of a paintbrush, the moulding of pottery or any other form of creation that stirs your soul. Come along and share your creations with a like-minded community, whether you're a seasoned artist or someone just starting on their artistic journey. There will of course be an opportunity for lots of chat, MCAS or otherwise while we get crafty! You can read more and book your place here.

Theme for December: Write about or make something Christmasy   

Weekly community zoom sessions

We are delighted to launch our weekly community zoom sessions for those living in the UK. The sessions will run every Thursday from 7-8:30pm.

Our Community Champion volunteers Amie and Alice will be hosting these weekly sessions, along with our Community Engagement Coordinator, Charise and previous volunteer Deborah Bircham. The sessions will be informal meetings that create an opportunity for people living with MCAS to connect with others, share stories and experiences and seek support from each other. We will be running this session virtually through zoom, so feel free to join us to chat about all things MCAS! Find out more here and book your place here.

Join our WhatsApp Group to connect with other members of our Community Zoom Sessions. The WhatsApp group is a space to continue conversations from the sessions, speak to others who attend and seek/give support. Please note, this WhatsApp group is not moderated. Please report any issues by email. 

Rest and Unwind Class

Update: These sessions are temporarily paused. We will post an update as soon as new sessions have been scheduled. 

These sessions are designed for people who have MCAS or care for someone with MCAS, these sessions will be gentle and inclusive. This is a 30 minute class that welcomes you to unwind from your day;15 minutes of gentle stretches to ease tension held in the body and 15 minutes of deep relaxation. 

Allowing ourself time to release tension that accumulates in our body can feel supportive to our nervous system and general overall health. 

Join us on Mondays at 6pm for these virtual sessions. Places are limited so if you wish to attend, please register in good time. Find out more and book your place here. 

How to be Heard - Advocating for Yourself in the NHS 

Update: this event is going to be rescheduled for later on in the year. Keep checking here for the new date. This event is hosted by Vicky Pearson, she was diagnosed by the NHS in December 2023, after a two year period of working with immunologists at Hull Royal Hospital. After a four year fight to be heard, she managed to push through referrals within the NHS, to finally be the first MCAS diagnosis that her immunologist had ever confirmed.

This event is designed to help individuals learn how to approach MCAS whilst accessing medical care within the NHS and how to advocate for yourself as a patient.The discussion will cover some basic steps patients can take at the moment, to aid in their own diagnosis, working with their doctors.