Crohn's & Colitis UK

Crohn's & Colitis UK "We’re Crohn’s & Colitis UK and we’re changing what it means to live with these lifelong, incurable gut conditions. Crohn’s? Colitis? We’ll face it together. "
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We’re fighting for a tomorrow where everyone living with Crohn’s or Colitis has everything they need to live well, and for a future where we don’t have to live with it at all. Around one in 120 people in the UK have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, navigating life with an unpredictable condition that could flare up at any time. We provide trusted information, support cutting-edge research and lead bold campaigns designed to get people talking about Crohn’s and Colitis like never before.

POV: You travel with a stoma With summer holiday season well and truly here, it's important to remember you're not alone...
25/06/2026

POV: You travel with a stoma

With summer holiday season well and truly here, it's important to remember you're not alone if you're worried about travelling with IBD or a stoma.

Kay loves to travel, but after having her stoma fitted, she found that planning for holidays changed a bit. Here, she shares her story and offers some reassurance to anyone else worrying about travelling this summer 💜

What's your top tip for travelling with Crohn's, Colitis and/or a stoma? Let us know in the comments!

What a week at ! 💜From old friends to new connections, it’s been an incredible few days representing Crohn’s & Colitis ...
25/06/2026

What a week at ! 💜

From old friends to new connections, it’s been an incredible few days representing Crohn’s & Colitis UK at the British Society of Gastroenterology’s British Society of Gastroenterology annual get-together. The weather in Liverpool was scorching 🌞. We had so many meaningful conversations about the latest developments in healthcare and how to improve the lives of everyone living with Crohn’s and Colitis.

📸 Highlights from the week:

1️⃣ Marianne, our CEO, and Catherine, our Director of Service, Research & Evidence, flying the flag for Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
2️⃣ Networking, making new friends, and talking all things IBD.
3️⃣ Ollie from our Young Adults Advisory Panel (Oliver Kaye) stopped by to say hello! 👋
4️⃣ Congratulations to everyone who made it onto our buzzer challenge leaderboard! Competition was FIERCE🏆
5️⃣ Catherine finally taking a well-earned breather after a busy few days at the stand. 😅
6️⃣ And perhaps our most unexpected visitor… we helped rescue a baby gull, now officially named Gutsy! 🐥💜

A huge thank you not only to the whole Crohn’s & Colitis UK team, but to everyone who came to visit us and shared their expertise. We look forward to working together! See you next year for BSG Live 27! 💜

“You don’t look disabled”“Crohn’s and Colitis are just tummy aches”“You look fine, so you must be fine”“Stomas are dirty...
23/06/2026

“You don’t look disabled”
“Crohn’s and Colitis are just tummy aches”
“You look fine, so you must be fine”
“Stomas are dirty”

The list goes on. As anyone with Crohn’s or Colitis will confirm, there is a huge number of misconceptions around these life-altering conditions. Many people have never heard of IBD. Some people think it’s “just a bad belly”. A lot of people think the conditions are rare and don’t affect many.

They’re wrong. These conditions can have a significant impact on people’s lives, and affect in 1 in 123 people in the UK alone. Without more awareness, more fundraising, more research and more understanding, people living with Crohn’s and Colitis won’t get the care they need to live well with their conditions.

Will you help us skip the stigma and lead the way to a future free of misconceptions and assumptions? Join the Big Summer Skip this August and do 123 skips a day for the 1 in 123 people affected by Crohn’s or Colitis in the UK.

Skip today, change tomorrow.

Sign up now: https://socialsync.app/flw/rf-grqn2gx9wwen1

Unfortunately, we have had to close our Helpline for a short period.We’re dealing with an issue behind the scenes, which...
23/06/2026

Unfortunately, we have had to close our Helpline for a short period.
We’re dealing with an issue behind the scenes, which means we’re not able to provide the service as normal for a few days. We appreciate this may be frustrating and disappointing, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience.
We expect the Helpline to be back up and running on Monday.
We may be closed but we have lots of information on our website www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk
If you need urgent medical advice you can call NHS 111 or in Northern Ireland phone your local Phone First. In an emergency call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.
If you need emotional support the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 116 123.

💜A fantastic first day for Team Crohn’s & Colitis UK at BSG Live in Liverpool!It’s a chance for healthcare professionals...
22/06/2026

💜A fantastic first day for Team Crohn’s & Colitis UK at BSG Live in Liverpool!

It’s a chance for healthcare professionals from across the UK to get together to discuss the latest developments in digestive health.

A huge shout-out to Glen, an Endoscopist from North Lincolnshire, who stopped by our stand to take on our steady-hand buzzer challenge and went straight to the top of the leaderboard 👏.

It’s safe to say our buzzer game has sparked a bit of friendly competition, so if you’re at , come and chat to us and have a go for yourself! ⚡️ 👀

22/06/2026

What does good IBD care look like to you? We asked, and you told us.

We're committed to ensuring better quality care for people living with Crohn's and Colitis in the UK.

That's why you'll find us at the British Society of Gastroenterology's Live event this week, talking to healthcare professionals, providing practical resources and sharing best practice to enable consistent quality improvement at every step of the way.

We'll also be having conversations about the new 2026 IBD Standards and our role in hosting the IBD UK Alliance, which brings partners together to support service improvement.

You can find out more about the 2026 IBD Standards here: https://ibduk.org/ibd-standards

21/06/2026

Becoming a parent can be both exciting and overwhelming. For those navigating life with a long-term condition, it also means learning how to balance your own health with the demands of family life. This Father's Day, Tom shares how it feels to be a dad with IBD, and how he is raising his children to understand his condition empathetically, without stigma or shame. 💜

Tom's story:
"One of my biggest concerns about becoming a father was how I would support not only our newborn but also my partner. Living with IBD comes with its ups and downs. Since having my ileostomy, my symptoms have been better controlled, but I still wanted to ensure I could be fully present while caring for my own health. I know that when I’m not looking after myself or recognising when I’m struggling, my ability to care for others suffers too.

We’ve always been open with Etta and Marley about my IBD and ostomy without letting it define our family life. It’s simply something Daddy has. We all need to use the toilet; I just do it a little differently. They’ve always been curious, and it’s been wonderful to see their interest and willingness to help when I’m changing my bag. They also know where to find me if I disappear—usually in the bathroom emptying it.

We’ve chosen honesty because we don’t want stigma around an illness that can feel isolating or embarrassing. Everyone faces challenges, but they don’t define who we are. By being open, we hope to nurture empathy and understanding in our children.

Being a dad with IBD comes with challenges, but I’m incredibly lucky to have a supportive family. I’m not always great at recognising when I need to slow down, so having people around me who gently remind me is invaluable. If I ignore the signs, things can quickly snowball and affect my ability to be the best version of myself.

I know many people wrestle with whether to have children while living with IBD. For me, the timing had to feel right, and I wanted my condition well managed. Only you can decide what’s right. Becoming a dad has been incredible, and I’m grateful every day for my two amazing little ones."

This Father's Day, we want to acknowledge the power of supportive dads in the Crohn's and Colitis community. We see you,...
21/06/2026

This Father's Day, we want to acknowledge the power of supportive dads in the Crohn's and Colitis community. We see you, we appreciate you, and your support means more than you could ever know 💜

Here, Amy tells us how her dad's support was literally a life-saver through her toughest times:

"I was 7 when I was diagnosed, and had symptoms from as young as I can remember. My diagnosis journey was long, painful and exhausting and when I was 17, we discovered my Crohn’s was in a different area to the one they had been treating incorrectly for 10 years. By that point, things were too far gone and I had ileostomy surgery at 19.

Dad has been my rock. He's been by my side at hospital appointments and admissions, and so has my mum. He’s seen me writhing in pain, not being able to eat, having accidents from not being able to get to the toilet quick enough - and that’s just to name a few things.

He's no stranger to having to rush me to A&E, sometimes at stupid o’clock, and often completely against my will. Before I had my life-saving ileostomy surgery, I was adamant I wanted to get my college course signed off, so I insisted we went there first and then I’d “let him” take me to A&E.

I hated hospital as a child and had many experiences that have left both internal and external scars, but Dad knew that even if I didn’t like him for it at the time, he had to take me there to get the care and treatment I so desperately needed.

If it wasn’t for him taking me to hospital, I wouldn’t have made it through my surgery. It was touch and go - I lost a lot of blood and I was told literally if I’d have been a few hours later and hadn’t had any medical support, I wouldn’t be here today. It’s thanks to Dad making that painful decision that I’m writing this today.

My Dad’s support means everything to me, as does my family’s. He is my hero. From rushing me to hospital in his car to him giving me away on my wedding day and having that car as my wedding car, it’s been emotional.

We’ve got through it together and still have one another to make more memories together. Time is precious, and life is way too short.

Thank you will never be enough, Dad 💜"

Ollie’s been living with a stoma for five years, so it's safe to say he’s weathered it all! ☀️❄️ From chilly mornings to...
20/06/2026

Ollie’s been living with a stoma for five years, so it's safe to say he’s weathered it all! ☀️❄️

From chilly mornings to heatwave highs, he knows what works for him. Now, as the weather gets warmer, he’s sharing his top tips to help you stay comfortable, confident, and well in hotter temperatures.

What would you add? Let us know in the comments!

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