Coeliac UK

I'm proud to be supporting Coeliac Awareness Month this May! 🧡 Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people, so it’s not rare, yet only 36% of people with the condition in the UK are medically diagnosed. It’s time for that to change. I want to help Coeliac UK raise awareness and get more people on the road to recovery – it all starts with a simple free online self-assessment.  My symptoms started in 2013 shortly after my wife and I sadly lost our daughter when she was only five weeks old in November of 2012. 💔   At the time I thought the way I felt could be related to my grief. As time progressed my wife fell pregnant again and we had had a healthy baby boy in 2014. At a time of such happiness, when my son was born, after the devastating loss of our daughter, I realised I just didn't feel 'right'. I was only 26 but would feel exhausted very easily, my brain would shut down half way through the day and walking up stairs felt like I had cement in my shoes. I was just so fatigued all the time. I went back and forth to my GP and he identified that I was deficient in, -Vitamin D -Calcium -Iron/folate After being put on medication, things didn't improve and after a period of two years of continued back and forth, I started experiencing symptoms that I would relate to IBS such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps and what I would describe as a feeling of seasickness. After a positive blood test for coeliac, I then got a biopsy eight months later and was diagnosed in 2016. 8 years on I am doing well, I have some other unrelated health issues that are under investigation but I am healthy, happy and in the fittest physical condition that I have probably ever been. My wife and I have two amazing kids who keep us smiling and coeliac disease hasn't stopped me living life. I now work at Coeliac UK after a career change and it is my mission to help contribute to changing the future for those diagnosed, especially our kids. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms or those highlighted in the Coeliac UK Awareness Campaign, please visit https://lnkd.in/ejBGnwAH and speak to your healthcare professional. #CoeliacStories #CoeliacAwarenessMonth See less

A Little Pitta Love 💜 Throughout the month of May, BFree is proudly supporting Coeliac UK by donating 20p per pack for every limited-edition purple pack of stone baked pitta sold. Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people, so it’s not rare, yet only 36% of people with the condition in the UK are medically diagnosed. It’s time for that to change! We want to help Coeliac UK raise awareness and get more people on the road to recovery – it all starts with a simple free online self-assessment. Click the link to find out more https://bit.ly/47PobqX This May, help us reach our goal of raising £26,000 for Coeliac UK - supporting those with coeliac disease, one pack at a time! 💜 #spreadalittlepittalove

Today we launch our month long campaign to drive awareness of coeliac disease. Did you know that an estimated 500,000 people in the UK are living with undiagnosed coeliac disease? That’s why this year, we’re doubling down on our mission to find those individuals and guide them towards the answers they need. Throughout May, we're shedding light on the various faces of undiagnosed coeliac disease and uncovering lesser-known facts about associated conditions like Down’s syndrome and autoimmune thyroid disease. Our goal? To encourage as many as possible to take our free online self-assessment so they can get on the road to recovery faster. But we’re not stopping there! Our calendar is jam-packed with events - from local meetups to an online cook-along with our Ambassador Becky Excell. Plus, we've got weekly blogs, podcasts, competitions, and so much more lined up! In addition to our community focused initiatives, we’re taking our campaign straight to the heart of legislative power across the UK. Following our successful reception in the Scottish Parliament last year, we’re hosting similar events in the Welsh Parliament (Senedd) and the Northern Ireland Assembly. We'll also be engaging policymakers across all four UK parliaments through questions, debates, and motions. You will also meet Mita, Anne, Tim, Joshua, his mum Dawn, and Joshua’s brother Joe - brave individuals who’ve shared their experiences as part of our campaign. Watch their video stories, and don’t forget to share your own on social media using our hashtags #CoeliacAwarenessMonth and #CoeliacStories. There are countless ways to amplify our message and support our cause. Share your story online, organise an awareness event, check for local volunteer-led activities, or simply keep an eye out for BFree Foods stone-baked pitta breads in your supermarket - 20p for every pack sold in May goes towards supporting Coeliac UK. How will you join in? Whether you're sharing your story, hosting an event, or supporting our cause in your community, every action counts. Find out more and get involved here: https://bit.ly/4dlTIVu #CoeliacUK #CoeliacDisease #Coeliac #CeliacDisease #Celiac

Step by step along the journey...

This #WorldImmunologyDay, we're celebrating our Connect Immune Research partnership 🌟 💪 Together with other #autoimmune research organisations, we are accelerating the progression and impact of #research across multiple conditions. 🔬 We fund researchers like Professor Lucy Walker, who is trying to target a specific type of immune cell in the hope of stopping the immune attack responsible for #Type1Diabetes and other autoimmune conditions. 🎉 We established Connect Immune Research with Versus Arthritis, MS Society and British Society for Immunology and launched the partnership in 2018. 🤝 Connect Immune Research now boasts 12 members after Alopecia UK, Coeliac UK, Bowel Research UK, Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance, British Thyroid Foundation (BTF), Royal Free Charity, Myaware (Formerly Myasthenia Gravis Association) and Juvenile Arthritis Research joined our partnership! Find out more about Connect Immune Research 👉 https://bit.ly/3sCyAYb

We’ve awarded a £250k grant to Dr. Swamy for a project to take us further along the ‘Journey to a Cure’ for coeliac disease. The project will look at certain proteins involved in the immune response to gluten aiming to identify new ways to treat ongoing symptoms associated with coeliac disease and refractory coeliac disease. Dr Swamy said “I’m excited by the possibility that an idea born out of findings in my lab may eventually lead to a treatment”. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eEVZdaC6 #Research #GlutenFreeResearch #HealthCare #CoeliacUK #Coeliac #CoeliacDisease

Exciting news! The brand new summer issue of our member magazine Live Well Gluten Free is set to land this week! Look out for the magazine in the post or via your inbox if you're a digital member. The issue is packed full of inspirational recipes to help you through the summer season, including our most popular sweet and savoury bakes, food ideas from around the world and staff from Coeliac UK give their top on the go recipes. Becky Excell also shares 3 low cost air fryer meal ideas to try at home. There’s an update on our month long awareness campaign coming this May, a bumper edition of our regular dietitian Q&A and an update on our Cost of Living campaign. If you’re not already a Coeliac UK member, this is just one of the benefits included when you join, alongside access to expert support and resources to help you live well gluten free. Find out more about becoming a member here: https://lnkd.in/gbhu3Stq

It’s the last day of the Health & Wellbeing special draw so be sure to place your nominations before midnight to ensure your favourite charities, not-for-profit organisations and community support groups are in with a chance of winning £5,000!

We want to say a HUGE thank you to our amazing London Marathon runners – Dave, Matty Harriet, Karen, Matthew, Kate, Sarah, Kris, Simon, Jonathan, Hannah and Simon C - for your outstanding efforts in fundraising to support our work. You all did an incredible job on Sunday and we hope you enjoyed the amazing experience! We are non Government funded, and we rely on the generosity of our supporters and fundraisers to continue our work. All donations make a difference in improving the lives of those who need to live gluten free. If you're interested in taking part in next year's London Marathon to fundraise for Coeliac UK, now is the perfect time to apply for the London Marathon 2025 public ballot! The ballot is currently open and closes this Friday. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eGz5iePq Once you've applied, please contact our Fundraising Team at fundraising@coeliac.org.uk to register your interest for a potential charity place with Coeliac UK and to find out more information. For more information on our challenge events, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eE_-dMJu **Due to a limited number of charity places, we recommend applying through the public ballot. Whether you support Coeliac UK with a charity or own place, rest assured you will receive the same top support, and we will be here to cheer you on, every step of the way!

The health and wellbeing special draw is underway! 5 days, 10 charities, £5,000 each – nominate a charity, not-for-profit organisation or community interest company working in the health and wellbeing sector for their chance to win £5,000 each! Nominations close on the 26th of April so get your nominations in today.