Survivor-led social innovation
Support while you wait. Not therapy. A bridge to it.
UKind XR brings immediate VR support into the places survivors already are — refuges, workplaces, wellness hubs. UKind Ally, our companion app, is there for the everyday: grounding, mindfulness, and staying on track between moments that feel hard.
UKind XR is a bridge to therapy and support alongside therapy — never a replacement for professional treatment or emergency services.
Innovative StartUp of the Year 2026
UK StartUp Awards — North East, Yorkshire and the Humber.
In development
UKind Ally is in development, and we're building it with survivors, not just for them.
UKind Ally is a companion app for the everyday — grounding, mindfulness and small goals that stay yours. Early access testers shape what it becomes before anyone else sees it.
Why UKind exists
Support should not arrive months after it was needed.
People affected by domestic abuse and trauma can be left waiting for support at exactly the point they need it most. UKind exists to close that gap.
UKind was created from lived experience and developed with survivors, frontline services, researchers and people with diverse access needs. Nobody here starts from a theory about what survivors need.
You are not broken and you do not need fixing. What often gets taken is choice, control, confidence and connection — so those four things are what everything we build is designed to help restore, at your pace and on your terms.
- Choice
- Control
- Confidence
- Connection
Available first
Meet UKind Ally
UKind Ally is an accessible, trauma-informed AI companion that can be there when you need immediate emotional support — day or night, without an appointment.
UKind Ally helps you steady yourself, understand what you are feeling and take one next step that feels manageable. It listens without judgement, it does not rush you, and it never asks you to explain more than you want to.
Grounding
Short, guided exercises to help you steady yourself.
Emotional regulation
Support for moments when feelings become overwhelming.
Breathing
Simple breathing practices you can use anywhere.
Reflection
Space to put words to what happened and how you feel.
Plus reflection, emotional awareness, confidence and resilience, and compassionate company between other forms of help.
Our platform
UKind XR
UKind XR is our immersive platform: trauma-informed virtual environments for emotional support, grounding and regulation, delivered alongside appropriate human support.
Explore UKind XR- Trauma-informed VR environments
- Grounding and regulation
- Reflection and emotional awareness
- Immersive experiences
- Accessibility by design
- Survivor-led co-design
- Human support and safeguarding
- Used alongside existing services
How UKind helps
Four things our support is built to do
Wherever you start, you can move at your own pace — and stop whenever you want to.
Regulate
Tools to help people feel calmer and more grounded, in the moment and over time.
Understand
Learn about emotions, patterns, boundaries and red flags at your own pace.
Reconnect
Begin rebuilding confidence, identity and connection with the people and things that matter.
Rebuild
Develop resilience, purpose and confidence for the future you choose.
Built with survivors
Nothing about survivors without survivors.
UKind is survivor-led and co-designed with survivors and frontline services. That is a working method, not a strapline.
- Survivors shape what we build, what we do not build, and when something is not ready.
- Frontline practitioners test how support fits real caseloads, refuges and safeguarding duties.
- People with a range of access needs are involved from the start, not consulted at the end.
- Contributors are recognised properly for their time and expertise.
Evidence and innovation
Beyond an early-stage idea
We are building the evidence base as we build the products — with universities, NHS teams, frontline services and the people using them.
- 4.0/5overall average therapeutic benefit rating
- 4.6/5rating from the addiction recovery group only
Phase 2 participants
- 100%positive experience
- 80%said it made them more ready for further support
Early research with small groups. Not a clinical trial.
Figures from our Phase 1 and Phase 2 participant evaluations. We publish no efficacy percentages beyond what participants reported.
University research collaborations
Working with the University of Leeds and the University of Huddersfield on the design and evaluation of trauma-informed immersive support.
NHS engagement
Engaging with NHS teams to understand how immediate support can sit alongside clinical pathways. Named partnerships are not published at this stage.
Frontline service partnerships
Working with frontline service partners including Staying Put and Reflections CIC to test in real settings. The next stage of this work with Staying Put begins in 2027.
Participant testing
Structured testing sessions with survivors and practitioners shaping each release — 77 participants across Phase 1 and Phase 2 so far.
Research and evaluation
We are still building this out: an evaluation framework so impact can be measured honestly over time.
Accessibility research
Accessibility research with the University of Leeds, supported by an Impact Acceleration Account grant, started in October 2026.
These are early findings from our own pilot research with survivors and people in recovery. We are working with partners to test them more rigorously.
Plain answers
What UKind is, and what it isn't
Built by a survivor, with survivors
UKind XR was built by someone who waited for support after domestic abuse, with survivors helping shape it.
Honest about the evidence
Our early research was positive. It is small, and it is not a clinical trial. We are testing it further with partners.
Safety built in
It is not therapy. It is a bridge to therapy. The guide uses set words and set limits and cannot diagnose. If someone is struggling, a member of staff can be alerted.
Recognition
Regional winner, Innovative Startup of the Year, Startup Awards 2026 (Yorkshire, Humber and North East)
Winner, Innovation in Trauma-Responsive Practice, West Yorkshire ATR Awards 2026
Winner, AWS Breaking Barriers Hackathon, January 2026
Regional winner, Social Enterprise of the Year 2025
Awarded first-stage funding, West Yorkshire Mayor's Big Ideas Challenge, 2025
Funding
Our project to bring UKind XR into Staying Put's domestic abuse refuges and train 12 frontline staff was made possible thanks to National Lottery players, through Awards for All.
We are also backed by a government-backed innovation programme and the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account with the University of Leeds.
For individuals
If you are here for yourself
You do not need a referral, a diagnosis or a service to start with UKind.
Start with UKind Ally
UKind Ally is our companion app — grounding, mindfulness and day-to-day support you can be among the first to try.
Join early accessLooking for UKind XR?
UKind XR, our VR experience, is available through partnered wellness hubs, workplaces and refuges — ask your service, or get in touch and we'll help you find out.
Ask us where to find itFor frontline services
Headsets on site, ready when someone needs them
UKind XR is placed in your setting for immediate use — no referral, no waiting list, no appointment. It is a bridge to therapy and support alongside therapy, not a replacement for professional treatment.
- NHS trusts and integrated care systems
- Domestic abuse services
- Refuges and safe accommodation
- Charities and community organisations
- Frontline and multi-agency services
- Commissioners
Setup on site
Headsets placed where people already are, configured and ready to use straight out of the cabinet.
Training for your team
Practical training so staff can introduce, support and step back from a session with confidence.
Safeguarding dashboard
Oversight of use within your existing safeguarding framework, with clear routes to a person.
UKind Ally between sessions
Partnered services can assign goals through UKind Ally, so the work continues between visits.
Support our mission
UKind Therapy CIC is a social-purpose organisation
Any surplus goes back into reaching more survivors. There are several ways to help.
Donate
Fund immediate, trauma-informed support for people who would otherwise be waiting.
Sponsor survivor access
Sponsor access for individuals, groups or a whole service.
Become a community partner
Join a network of organisations bringing survivor-led support into their communities.
FAQs
Questions people ask us
You don't have to rebuild alone.
Whether you are looking for support for yourself or for the people you work with, there is a way in from here.