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Arthritis Action
Free online Groups are taking place to help people in Birmingham and the greater West Midlands area living with arthritis manage their condition. The online Groups such as Birmingham Arthritis Action Group, organised by UK charity Arthritis Action, will take place on 21st June 2021 at 2:00 pm (please note this is subject to change), with further groups planned every six weeks.
The online Groups are held over the videoconference app Zoom, catering to those who still may not be comfortable socializing in-person with others. The calls offer a safe and friendly environment for people living with arthritis to speak with each other, learn from one another and share their stories, questions and tips.
Speakers will also provide local resources for people living in and around the West Midlands, as well as information on how to better manage the symptoms of arthritis through healthy eating, therapies, mindfulness, exercise and pain management.
The Groups are free to attend and are open to people living with all forms of arthritis. Arthritis Action already runs Groups in other areas across the country, including London, Essex, East Anglia and Norfolk.
There are over 10 million people living with some form of arthritis in the UK, making it the leading cause of pain and disability nationwide. According to a recent YouGov study from Arthritis Action, two-thirds of people living with arthritis in the UK found a self-management approach, such as the one taught in this group, helpful in managing their pain and fatigue.
Dali from Birmingham, who attended a previous online Arthritis Action Group, said: “The groups have been invaluable to me during the pandemic. I love the connection, community, advice & support that you get at these groups. They help me realise that I’m not alone, and I can reach out to others living with arthritis who understand me. It’s been a real treasure during this time. Even by speaking to other attendees, you can find a wealth of knowledge, from equipment advice, mental health support, diet information, and so much more.”
The group is made possible by Arthritis Action’s partner, Western Power Distribution (WPD), who is sponsoring the event. Stella Hayward, Corporate Communications Officer for WPD, said about the event:
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Arthritis Action, we believe it is the responsibility of large organisations like ours to play a full and active role in the communities they serve. Supporting charities such as Arthritis Action is a good example of our commitment to that. We hope partnering with the charity will help us to reach out and support customers who are affected by arthritis, and increase awareness of our Priority Services Register (PSR). Our PSR is there to help customers who rely on electricity for medical equipment or who may be elderly, very ill or disabled. It’s free to join and helps us to look after customers who have extra communication, access or safety needs. It also helps us tailor our services to support households who may need extra help during power cuts. Sometimes power cuts can happen for reasons beyond our control and we know this can be particularly worrying especially for our vulnerable customers. We hope that working with Arthritis Action can help us to reach out to people affected with Arthritis and encourage them to visit our website to find out more information and to sign up for our free PSR Register: westernpower.co.uk/psrAA.”
For more information or to register attendance for the free event, email [email protected] or telephone 020 3781 7120.
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