Virtual activity groups for the Ataxia Community
Our Virtual Activity groups started in the first Covid-19 lockdown and have been so popular that we’ve continued with them ever since.
At Ataxia UK, we wanted to create social activities that help the ataxia community to stay connected with each other from the comfort of your own home. The sessions are created and hosted by the Services team and our wonderful volunteers, including wellbeing activities, information sessions on a range of topics covering different aspects of living with ataxia and fun activities like Tony’s music club.
We hope these sessions will be informative, entertaining and leave people feeling a little less isolated.
We have a number of  events planned throughout 2025.
Coming up…Â
- Monday 2nd – Friday 6th June – Volunteers’ Week
- Monday 9th – Friday 13th June – Carers Week
Chair Pilates
Our next Chair Pilates session with Sonia Forde will be a part of Volunteers Week on Wednesday 4th June. This session will therefore be free, and anyone is very welcome to join. Please register for this session here: https://bit.ly/4hTNcWP
Mindfulness
Our next Mindfulness session will be a part of Carers Week on Wednesday 11th June. This session will therefore be free, and anyone is very welcome to join. Please register for this session here: https://bit.ly/43YeXtW
Volunteers’ Week
Our volunteers do so much in helping us to develop and deliver our service to the ataxia community – that’s why we wanted to give something back to all of you!
This year’s volunteers’ week will be full of virtual sessions designed to inform and entertain, see below for what we have planned…
‘Where’s his Phone Number?’ A GDPR Session with Yolande Joubert
Date: Tuesday 3rd June
Time: 1pm-2pm
This isn’t your average GDPR lecture, join us as we provide an interactive and powerful session with Yolande Joubert, our new Chief Operating Officer at Ataxia UK. GDPR is a really important aspect for all volunteer roles so it would be fantastic to see as many of you there as possible. If that’s not enough to convince you, there will also be a chance to win some prizes during the session!
Chair Pilates with Sonia Forde
Date: Wednesday 4th June
Time: 11am-12pm
Our Chair Pilates sessions run on a regular basis and are led by Sonia Forde who has over 17 years’ experience as a Pilates teacher. This seated movement class will use Pilates techniques to focus on mobilising and stretching the whole body. This class is open to all and there will be adaptations and adjustments for all exercises to make them suitable to individual needs.
Please note: There are limited spaces available for this session and places will be taken on a first come first serve basis. To secure your place please register through our webpage here: https://bit.ly/4hTNcWP
Bingo with the Services Team
Date: Friday 6th June
Time: 1pm-2pm
Join us for a fun-filled round of bingo with the services team! Unlike regular bingo, our game will test your knowledge of ataxia and volunteering. There will of course be a few prizes to give out to our winners so don’t delay in signing up!
Please note: If you are not a volunteer and wish to take part, please email volunteering@ataxia.org.uk before Friday 16th May so we can send you your bingo card.
The booking form to register for these sessions is available at the bottom of this page.
Carers Week
Join us this year as we recognize and celebrate the carers in our lives and within the ataxia community, working tirelessly, without payment taking care of their loved ones. We will be hosting a number of virtual activities which will aim to uplift our carer community, details of which can be found below:
Carers Support Group Meeting
Date: Monday 9th June
Time: 2pm-4pm
The lovely carer support group will be meeting on 9th June at 2pm. It’s a great chance to meet other carers and exchange useful advice on caring for someone with ataxia.
Mindfulness with Lucy Holland
Date: Wednesday 11th June
Time: 1pm-2pm
Our Mindfulness sessions are led by our incredible volunteer, Lucy Holland. The benefits of yoga and mindfulness have been a constant in Lucy’s life for over 20 years and she has been sharing her experience through her teaching since 2017. Ataxia UK is a charity close to her family’s heart and she has organised several fundraising yoga and mindfulness classes.
Selfcare for Carers with Glesni Roberts from the Neuro Therapy Centre
Date: Thursday 12th June
Time: 10am-11:30am
Glesni Roberts is a qualified Counsellor, and registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). She currently works for the Neuro Therapy Centre, near Chester, supporting people living with neurological conditions, including ataxia, as well as their carers. She is looking forward to meeting you all.
Please complete the booking form below to register for any and all of the above Volunteers’/Carers Week activities:
Please note: To register for the Volunteers Week Chair Pilates session, please register through our separate booking form here: https://bit.ly/4hTNcWP
Please Note: Using Zoom
Once you have completed the booking form, an email from Ataxia UK will be sent to the email address you provided. This email will contain a registration Zoom link to the session you have booked for. Please click the link and register your attendance using this Zoom registration link, and Zoom will then send you an email with the direct link to join.
It is important to make sure your email address is typed correctly and you check your spam/junk folder as it is likely it will be sent there.
If you would like more information on the sessions or support with using Zoom, please contact volunteering@ataxia.org.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!
