Crossed Grain

8 WWW.COELIAC.ORG.UK THE LATEST ALTERNATE SCHEME TO PRESCRIBING TRIALLED IN WALES Hywel Dda University Health Board in Wales launched a pilot alternative scheme for access to gluten free food on 8 June. For six months, participants will receive a subsidy for the cost of gluten free staple foods direct to a Mastercard style chip and pin card for use in shops and online. The card works like a normal debit card and can only be used to purchase gluten free food but gives the participant the choice of where and when to purchase the products. The response to the pilot has been really positive so far, with 64% of those eligible for the pilot volunteering to take part. In Wales all Local Health Boards are signed up to National Prescribing Guidelines meaning all those with coeliac disease are entitled to gluten free staples on prescription. There will be a research project running alongside the pilot looking at the impacts of any potential barriers such as availability of gluten free products for those living in rural areas and/or with limited access to supermarkets. It’s hoped the scheme will provide a more convenient way of delivering support for people with coeliac disease and be more cost effective for the NHS. SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT GLUTEN FREE FOOD FESTIVAL Thank you to everyone who was able to join us at Green Park Conference Centre, Reading for our Gluten free food festival and Annual General Meeting in June. The day was a great success with a range of gluten free manufacturers and producers, inspirational talks and delicious cookery demos. Thank to our sponsors Warburtons Gluten Free and Nature’s Path and to our special guests Dr Sunny Raju and Jane Devonshire for all their support. We had over 1,200 visitors throughout the day and received some wonderful feedback: “It was brilliant. THANK YOU for putting on an event like this. So awesome to be able to go somewhere and not have to worry about checking all of the food and that people implicitly understood what we have to deal with on a daily basis.” Louise, Hampshire The festival is a great opportunity for Coeliac UK to meet our gluten free community so we’re already busy planning for next year. We’re looking at hosting the event in the Leeds or York area and we’ll keep you posted on our plans in our monthly newsletter. But for now keep Saturday 22 June 2019 free and we look forward to seeing you there! Order your Coeliac UK Christmas cards now! Featuring a range of designs from traditional to contemporary, our selection of high quality festive cards and merchandise is now available to purchase online and via the enclosed order form. Keep a look out for an exclusive design chosen by our Facebook followers, the winning card is also on the front cover of the order form and looks fantastic! Each pack sold will generate at least 10% for Coeliac UK and all charity donations made on top of purchases will come back to us in full. All orders are fulfilled by our partner Impress Publishing. Please refer to the order form for more details about how to buy your Christmas cards.