Coeliac News

Coeliac UK launches Christmas appeal to help children like Florence enjoy food without fear

November 11, 2026

Nine-year-old Florence has one Christmas wish: to eat without fear. Coeliac UK is launching its Christmas appeal today, calling on supporters to help fund pioneering research that could bring the charity closer to a world beyond a lifelong gluten free diet.

While many children are busy writing their Christmas wish lists, nine-year-old Florence has just one thing she wants from Santa: to enjoy food without worrying about becoming unwell or missing out.

Her wish is at the heart of Coeliac UK’s Christmas appeal, launching today, which aims to raise vital funds for the charity’s largest-ever research project.

The three-year, £600,000 project is exploring a new biological marker that could help scientists measure coeliac disease activity more accurately. This would give researchers a better way to assess whether potential treatments are working, helping to improve the testing of new therapies in clinical trials.

By making it easier to evaluate potential treatments, the research could also help encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in developing new therapies, bringing the prospect of alternative treatments to a lifelong gluten free diet closer for people with coeliac disease.

The landmark project began this month and further funding is needed to ensure research can continue uninterrupted and reach its full potential.

Through its Christmas appeal, Coeliac UK is asking supporters to donate, whether through a one-off gift or a regular monthly contribution, to help keep this vital research moving forward.

Heidi Urwin, Director of Evidence & Policy at Coeliac UK, said:

“Florence’s Christmas wish is something so often taken for granted: to enjoy food without fear.

“We can’t give Florence a cure this Christmas, but we can work towards a future where children like her no longer have to worry about what they can and can’t eat.

“Our largest-ever research project represents an important step forward in understanding coeliac disease to help accelerate the search for new treatments. But we need continued support to make sure this work can progress. Every donation brings us closer to a time when life is no longer limited by coeliac disease.”

This Christmas, supporters can give something that won’t fit under the tree: hope for a life beyond a lifelong gluten free diet.

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