Care Circles

In March 2020 we took part in the Gatherings.voyage an accelerator for ideas developing new ways of meaningfully gathering online. We came up with Care Circles, a web-video platform for supportive group conversations.

Local communities have eroded causing social isolation and Covid restrictions have added to the strain on mental health. Often, an empathetic ear, and a safe space to share makes a huge difference and a little early community support can prevent a crisis, easing the load on professional services.

We have become more comfortable using video calls, but the existing tools were designed for generic business meetings. In the real world, we use specific spaces for specific purposes and the atmosphere of these spaces has a profound but subtle impact on us.

To enhance human connection online we need appropriately designed spaces. Care Circles is a user interface designed to create a supportive atmosphere and to enable easy facilitation of supportive group conversations.

In parallel with this technology we are developing a training programme which empowers any mature youth or adult to host an online support circle.