Your December update from Colostomy UK

Happy Christmas!

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas from everyone at Colostomy UK.

All we want for Christmas is...

All we want for Christmas… is to continue to support those living with stomas in the ways that are most accessible to them. There is still time to support our charity this festive season.

Donate to our Christmas Appeal HERE

As a small charity who receive no government funding, your donations will be put to immediate good use, directly supporting people living with stomas this festive period. 💟

Stoma 101. Managing your stoma at Christmas.

It can be difficult to know how to manage your stoma during the Christmas period, which is why Pooja Dhir from City Dieticians has shared her top tips so you can have a happy and healthy festive season! 🎄

Looking for support this Christmas.

When is our stoma helpline open over Christmas and New Years? Always!

Whether you're looking for practical or emotional support, or just want someone to listen, you can call our 24 hour stoma helpline on 0800 328 4257, day or night, to speak to one of our trained volunteers 💜

Stirling Castle joins our Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign

Historic Environment Scotland and Colostomy UK are very pleased to announce that Stirling Castle, one of its

Stirling Castle, which is situated atop a distinctive volcanic outcrop at the heart of Scotland, is a much-loved and well-recognised monument. The earliest buildings date back to the middle of the 12th century, and many know the castle for the distinctive ‘King’s Gold’ lime wash of the Great Hall. Annual visitor numbers to the Castle reached over 500,000 last year. Read the full story here

If you would like to support our campaign please email us with your name and postal address, and we'll send you our Stoma Aware Pack.

Thank you to our fundraisers.

A massive festive thank you to everyone who raised fund for us this year!! From marathon runners and Kilimanjaro climbers to head shavers and all that have given to us financially through fundraising or direct donations, we could not have achieved all that we did this year without you. 🙌

This year we scaled new heights, extending our reach to millions through our work with M&S, Coronation Street, and Stoma Aware day.

So far we have answered 3,862 calls to our 24-hour stoma helpline, onboarded 19 new volunteers and attended 45 open days. None of this could have been done without your dedicated support. From all of us here at Colostomy UK thank you, so much. 🌟💜

Your feedback wanted.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) want to hear from people who have used medical devices including stoma bags, outside of hospital to better understand their experiences and ensure that medical devices are inclusive for everyone.

This is because DHSC are in the process of improving the way products and medical devices available for prescribing in primary and community care are categorised and assessed. Clinicians are able to prescribe thousands of medical devices in primary care settings – from stoma bags and bandages to tracheostomy appliances, from lymphoedema garments to hypodermic equipment. By completing this survey, you can let DHSC know:

- What is important to you as a patient when medical professionals are deciding which medical devices and products to prescribe.
- Information you want in order to make an informed choice about the medical device or product you want to use.

You can complete the survey here

100 Berkshire Place, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG4154D