Our online meetings offer information, shared experience and friendly peer support for people affected by aspergillosis, along with relatives and carers. You are welcome whether you are newly diagnosed, have been living with aspergillosis for many years, or simply want to understand more.

There are two easy ways to keep up to date: our website has the full, current meeting details and joining links; our Facebook group helps you discover upcoming meetings and receive reminders.

Need to join a meeting?

Go straight to our Online meetings page. It is the one page to bookmark. There you can quickly:

• see the next meeting and its UK start time;
• read the topic and any joining information; and
• open the current joining link when it is time to attend.

If you use Facebook, look in the group’s Events section as well and click Interested or Going to receive a reminder. The Event will always send you back to the website for the joining link.

1. Start with the Online meetings page

The Online meetings page is the best place to check what is happening and to join. It contains the current date, time, topic and joining link for each meeting.

We may occasionally need to change a speaker, topic or link. For this reason, please return to the website shortly before the meeting rather than relying on an old link in a social-media post or email.

You do not normally need to book a place in advance. Simply open the joining link a few minutes before the meeting starts.

2. Use Facebook Events for reminders

If you use Facebook, join our Facebook group and look for Events in the menu below the group cover image. On a phone, tap More if you cannot see Events straight away. This shows meetings that are coming up.

Open the Event and click Interested if you hope to attend, or Going if you expect to be there. Facebook can then send you its usual reminders, depending on your own notification settings.

The Facebook Event will direct you back to the Online meetings page for the definitive information and joining link. Please check the Event as well as the website near the time of the meeting, as we may post a practical update there.

3. Choose the meeting that suits you

• Tuesday social meeting, 2 pm UK time: an informal opportunity to say hello and talk with other people.
• Thursday discussion, 10 am UK time: a friendly group discussion, sometimes with a suggested topic to get the conversation started.
• First Friday monthly meeting, 1 pm UK time: a longer session with talks, discussion and practical information, usually held on Microsoft Teams.

If you live outside the UK, please check the time difference where you are. The current meeting page will always show the UK time.

4. Join the meeting

1. Open the joining link from the Online meetings page a few minutes early.
2. Enter the name you would like others to see. A first name, initials or a nickname are all fine.
3. Allow microphone access if you would like to speak.
4. Choose whether to turn on your camera. It is completely fine to join with it off.
5. Wait for the host to let you in, if the meeting uses a waiting room.

Most meetings can be joined using a browser on a computer, tablet or phone. You do not usually need to create an account. Microsoft Teams may offer its app, but you can normally choose to join in your browser instead.

Come in as you are

You can join late, leave early, listen quietly, use the chat, or speak when you feel ready. There is no pressure to share personal information. If it is your first meeting, joining a few minutes early can make the technology feel less rushed.

Our meetings are for information and support, not individual medical advice. Please continue to discuss symptoms, treatment decisions and urgent health concerns with your own clinical team.

Privacy and recordings

Weekly peer-support discussions are not recorded, so people can speak more freely. Some planned monthly presentations may be recorded; if so, we will say so clearly at the start. Please respect everyone’s privacy and avoid posting personal medical information in Facebook Event discussions.

If you cannot join

First, check the Online meetings page for the most up-to-date link. You can also try opening it in another browser such as Chrome, Edge or Safari. If you miss a recorded monthly presentation, useful recordings and resources may be available on our Recorded patient meetings page.

We hope to see you at a meeting soon.