Coeliac Awareness Week update
Coeliac UK Awareness Week Update
There is no doubt that May's Coeliac Awareness Week has provided Coeliac UK with one of its busiest months yet! Our nationwide helpline has already taken double the number of calls about diagnosis of coeliac disease compared with last month alone!
Coeliac UK Awareness Week ran from the 14th to 20th May, inviting a great deal of media attention from a number of celebrities pledging their support. Most prominently Phil Vickery used his slot on ITV's 'This Morning' to show-case some gluten-free cooking and discussed coeliac disease in a number of interviews to the press. TV presenter Cesarina Holm-Kander was also featured as a case study on 'GMTV'. Even the daytime soaps made an effort, and a patient diagnosed with coeliac disease appeared on the BBC soap 'Doctors' wittingly entitled 'Born and Bread!'. Information about the need for early diagnosis of coeliac disease appeared on the BBC's news website, and was in the top 5 'most emailed story' of the day. Case-studies and information about coeliac disease were also highlighted in both national and regional press and a range of magazines.
The central point of Awareness Week activity was a parliamentary reception organised by Coeliac UK held in the House of Commons, and an exhibition on the following day in Portcullis House. In total 68 people attended the reception, of these 44 were parliamentarians. In addition leading gastroenterologists, the President of the British Medical Association, dietitians, some gluten-free manufacturers and Cesarina Holm-Kander also attended.
Staff from the company Adastra Medical were also present at the reception and exhibition to test people using the BiocardTM self- testing kits. Click here to see the Coeliac UK statement about the use of these self-testing kits.
An Early Day Motion, or EDM, was tabled early in the week by Gordon Banks MP (secretary of our All Party Parliamentary Group) with 6 signatories. This EDM (number 1449) aims to draw attention to coeliac disease and canvasses parliamentary support for the importance of early diagnosis. By the end of Awareness Week, the EDM has been signed by 84 MPs. We continue to encourage our members to contact their MP and ask them to sign the EDM. To view the text of EDM 1449 click here
Coeliac UK volunteer groups and healthcare professionals across the country have done a great job in organising and participating in events to highlight the case for early diagnosis of coeliac disease.
We are keen to hear from those who were involved in Awareness Week activities. Please do send us any press coverage you may have received and any photos of your event - send items to our Communications & Volunteers' Manager, Holly Ellicott at holly.ellicott@coeliac.org.uk, marking your correspondence 'Coeliac Awareness Week'.
Further details about the success of Awareness Week will be included in the Autumn edition of Crossed Grain.
