Live Well Gluten Free

18 | www.coeliac.org.uk Sunnier, fun filled days and the chance to get together with family and friends makes summer 2021 look so much brighter. But for children and young people with coeliac disease, it’s not always that simple. Trusting other people to provide gluten free food can cause feelings of worry and exclusion. And the last thing any young person needs now is more isolation. So let’s shine a light on coeliac disease together to make life better for everyone who needs to live gluten free. Awareness Week 2021 10-16 May, we’ll be shining a light on coeliac disease "I have raised awareness for Coeliac UK every year since I was diagnosed with coeliac disease at age 6." "I have done presentations to my class at school, handed out leaflets, and held gluten free tea parties with my friends. I helped provide content and activities for the Young Champions pack when it was first released. I used it at school and even did a presentation in assembly! "Lockdown has actually made living gluten free a bit easier for me. Eating at home all the time meant I didn’t need to worry about being in a social situation with limited gluten free choices, or having to explain why I need a ‘special’ menu. I love trying new things so eating out can sometime stress me out because I don’t have as many options to choose from. It’s also hard at school on special days, like end of year parties and birthdays, because I can’t just have the same as everyone else. This is why raising awareness is so important to me; it helps people understand why I have to be so careful about what I eat, and how gluten affects me.” Lucy, 11 AWARENESS