Leading from the top

Ruth Wakeman
Director of Services, Advocacy and Evidence

We know that our online information and our helpline are needed more than ever right now, and we will continue to provide everyone with Crohn’s and Colitis information on the topics that are important to you, including Coronavirus, shielding and COVID-19 vaccination. 

We will also continue to work with our local networks and volunteers, fund new research and promote opportunities to get involved with research.

I’m particularly excited about the IBD UK national report which we will be launching this year.  The report, published by Crohn’s & Colitis UK and 17 other organisations who all work together as IBD UK, will include the results of our survey of over 10,000 patients and over 160 IBD services across the UK. 

We will be talking to government, policy makers and healthcare professionals across the UK to raise awareness of the needs of people with Crohn’s and Colitis, and offer recommendations for improvements in IBD services including earlier diagnosis, personalised care and more IBD nurses.

Claire Walsh
Director of Income Generation & Marketing

I entered this year feeling even more motivated to raise funds for Crohn’s & Colitis UK’s work, knowing how valued and vital it is. We experienced a number of challenges in fundraising last year, but we also saw some positives – we had much more direct contact with our fundraisers and supporters and it was wonderful to speak to members of our community and learn more about them. We plan to do more of this in 2021.

This year, we hope to speak to more supporters to see what best suits your needs, so you may see some additional emails from us, or posts on social media, as well as further information on our website and Connect Now. We will also be asking you how you feel about the information you receive. We want to know what you find interesting and useful, and what you would like to see more of.

We are excited about the potential for events such as the London Marathon and the Great North Run to return in the Autumn, and for us to have the opportunity to meet and thank our fundraisers in person. We also hope to create more virtual events, which our community can take part in at home or in their local area. Watch this space for more details.

We will also be looking at other ways our supporters can give to us while minimising costs to themselves, including signing up for Gift Aid and donating through Payroll Giving, where donors can give via their salary before tax, saving 20%. You will also see more information on our website and in our newsletters about Legacy giving. Gifts in Wills are a great way for members to support the charity for years to come and a gift or a percentage of an estate can go a very long way in supporting our information services in the future, or our research to ultimately find a cure for Crohn’s and Colitis.

I’d like to end by saying thank you to you all – it’s through your gifts and fundraising efforts that we are able to continue the vital work we do at Crohn’s & Colitis UK. We are so grateful for your support.

Andrew Adie
Director of Finance and Corporate Services

The Finance and Corporate Services team are all looking forward to a challenging but rewarding 2021.

With a new database in place to help us manage our relationships with all of our members, supporters and people who use our services, one of our aims is to ensure that we are getting the best value for money out of our technology.

We will be looking at making it easier for people to interact with us, whether that’s applying for research grants, processing direct debits, reviewing and reconciling income and expenditure, adding Gift Aid to a donation, or finding out information about Crohn’s and Colitis.

We will be using our software to record how IBD services are performing and who they are reaching, as well as using all the data we collect to influence decision makers.

Currently all our staff are working remotely but hopefully after lockdown the team can ensure our office will become fully operational and functional once again, and COVID-19 safe.