ELYSIAN

Sometimes you don't need advice. Sometimes you simply need somewhere you can walk into, have a cuppa, meet other women and know that you don't have to pretend everything is fine.

Natter If You Want To creates welcoming, women-focused spaces for women and girls to connect, talk and be heard.

You might benefit if you are:

• Feeling lonely or isolated
• Struggling with confidence or self-esteem
• Going through a difficult life change
• Experiencing stress or feeling overwhelmed
• A new parent or carer who has lost some of their usual social connection
• Working from home and missing everyday interaction
• Finding it difficult to make new friendships
• Looking for a safe space to talk
• Simply wanting to meet other women without pressure or judgement

How Elysian can help

Our aim is to create opportunities for friendship, conversation, confidence and belonging through informal gatherings, activities and community events.

There is no pressure to share personal information. You can talk, listen, laugh, have a drink or simply be around other people.

Sometimes a conversation highlights that you need something more specialist. Where appropriate, we can help point you towards organisations and professional services that may be able to help.

Support & Signposting

If you're struggling, asking for help isn't making a fuss. It's taking the first step.

Loneliness doesn't always look like somebody sitting at home alone. You can have family, colleagues, hundreds of Facebook friends and a busy life — and still feel completely disconnected.

Our Community Campfire Conversations are designed to bring people together in a relaxed, welcoming environment where conversation can happen naturally.

You might benefit if you:

• Spend long periods alone
• Feel lonely despite being surrounded by people
• Have recently moved to the area
• Work from home
• Have retired and miss your previous routine
• Are a carer and rarely get time for yourself
• Have experienced bereavement or a major life change
• Feel anxious about traditional social groups
• Want to make new connections
• Simply fancy a conversation with another human being

What happens?

Think less support group, more community.

Conversation. Warmth. Connection. Listening. Laughter. And absolutely no requirement to tell your life story.

Our events are designed to make that awkward first step into somewhere new feel a little easier.

Support & Signposting

You may also be able to access support through your GP, social prescriber, local community groups, befriending organisations, bereavement services and council services.

Neurodiversity describes the natural differences in how people's brains work, process information and experience the world.

Our work initially focuses particularly on autism and ADHD, helping children, families, schools and the wider community understand that differences in communication, attention, sensory processing, emotions or behaviour aren't automatically something to fear or judge.

Our school and community work includes:

• Age-appropriate school workshops
• Autism and ADHD awareness
• Our Elysian neurodiversity mascots
• Children's educational books and resources
• Activities and discussion
• Helping children understand their classmates
• Encouraging kindness rather than judgement
• Information for parents and carers
• Signposting towards further support

Our resources deliberately avoid overwhelming children with clinical information. Instead, we help them understand something powerful:

Someone else's brain might experience the same classroom, playground or conversation very differently to yours. And understanding that difference can create kinder classrooms.

Looking for help for yourself or your child?

Elysian cannot diagnose autism, ADHD or another neurodevelopmental condition. Depending on your situation, possible routes for further advice can include your child's school or SENCO, GP, NHS services, SEND support, educational professionals and recognised neurodevelopmental services.

We can also help families understand what local support and community resources may be available while they are seeking answers.

You don't need a diagnosis to start treating somebody with understanding.

Support & Signposting

Leaving an abusive situation does not necessarily mean the effects of abuse disappear. Survivors may be rebuilding confidence, finances, relationships, routines, physical well-being and their sense of who they are.

Our domestic abuse arm is intended to complement — not replace — the specialist organisations already doing vital work within our community.

Our community work can include:

• Safe and welcoming activities
• Opportunities to rebuild social connection
• Well-being sessions
• Confidence-building activities
• Peer connection
• Support for local refuges and organisations
• Practical community projects
• Signposting to specialist services

Are you experiencing domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse can include much more than physical violence. It can involve:

• Coercive control
• Threats or intimidation
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Stalking
• Harassment
• Financial control
• Isolation
• Technology-facilitated abuse

You deserve specialist advice from people trained to support you safely.

Support & Signposting

Technology Safety

If you're worried that somebody may be monitoring your phone, computer, internet activity or accounts, consider accessing support from a safe device if possible.

Deleting your browsing history isn't always the safest option if doing so would be noticed by an abusive person. Specialist domestic abuse organisations can help you think about accessing support safely.

Some health conversations are still unnecessarily difficult. Men may feel pressure to simply “get on with it”. Women can spend years feeling dismissed or believing difficult symptoms are simply something they have to tolerate. And mental well-being can become the thing everybody notices but nobody mentions.

We want to make those conversations easier.

Our work can explore

Women's health and well-being — menopause and perimenopause, menstrual health, endometriosis awareness, confidence, mental well-being, movement, body changes, relationships, sexual well-being and other topics affecting women's lives.

Men's health and well-being — mental well-being, isolation, stress, physical health, relationships, confidence and creating environments where men can speak without feeling judged. This includes community initiatives such as Men's Release & Recharge.

Through:

• Community events
• Workshops and guest speakers
• Open conversations
• Well-being activities
• Awareness campaigns
• Preventative initiatives
• Signposting to professional services

We aren't here to diagnose. We're here to start conversations earlier, reduce stigma and help people know where to go next.

Support & Signposting

Don't assume that something is simply something you have to “put up with”.