Live Well Gluten Free

16 | www.coeliac.org.uk In the Spotlight 4 PEOPLE What’s on in your community? We have over 60 local groups across the UK. Find out if there’s one in your area at www.coeliac.org.uk/localgroups Or why not start your own group? Our Volunteer team would love to hear from you, contact volunteering@coeliac.org.uk Joy, County Derry/Londonderry “It’s hard to believe it’s now a year since face to face clinics with patients and day to day contact with our colleagues stopped. Restrictions due to covid-19 pushed us towards finding new ways to run our service whilst working remotely. All clinic appointments are currently carried out over the phone and newly diagnosed patients can be educated with video consultations. We have kept in touch with colleagues virtually as we can’t all meet up, but it just isn’t the same working environment. We miss face to face contact with patients. However, there have been some benefits in terms of time management. Issues such as childcare, taking time off work or problems with travel often cause difficulties in attending appointments and these can now be minimised. Our ability to adapt and perform in difficult circumstances has allowed us to continue running the service effectively. But we really look forward to the future and a more normal way of life again, which hopefully will involve seeing patients back at our clinics with virtual contact for those that prefer it.” Joy - Derry/Londonderry Member of Coeliac UK Health Advisory Committee & Gastroenterology Advanced Practitioner (Dietetics), WHSCT, N. Ireland. Jacqui, Croydon “In March 2020 we began communicating with members that all planned events were on hold until further notice, with the promise of monthly email newsletters, helping members source gluten free staple foods, and sharing recipes. As we went into national lockdown it was important to support our newly diagnosed members, some of whom we had only recently been in contact with. We set about weekly Zoom coffee mornings and great friendships have developed as a result. We enjoyed afternoon tea during Awareness Week, whilst others followed Jane Devonshire in her cook along, making cookies with the kids. Some raised money in a variety of ways – undertaking 26 days of walking or running 5k, and making face masks to help support Coeliac UK. At Christmas we had a Christmas drinks evening on Zoom. Some 15 members dressed in Christmas jumpers and enjoyed an evening of fun with Bingo Raffle along with sparkly gin, red wine and nibbles. In the past month we have set up a Croydon Local Group Instagram and Twitter, in an effort to reach out to our local community. What a year it has been! Some have been affected by covid and bereavement, whilst others have been shielding due to other health conditions. We’re looking forward to resuming our monthly coffee and chat meet ups in the park, and currently planning cookery demos and new member sessions via Zoom.” Jacqui – Group Organiser of Coeliac UK Croydon Group