England
Together Fund
Versus Arthritis, on behalf of Sport England, is distributing grants of up to £5,000 to support people with long term health conditions to get active. Organisations across England should be working to increase the availability of exercise opportunities for people with long term health conditions in local communities, to help aid recovery from the negative impact of COVID-19 and reduce the widening of inequalities in sport and physical activity.
Applications are particularly welcome from groups who also support people from culturally diverse communities, disabled people, and people from lower socio-economic groups.
The fund is especially interested in supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions, which affect 32% of people in England.
For more information about the Together fund, including how organisations can apply, take a look at our inspiring active communities information. If you have any questions, please email physicalactivityva@versusarthritis.org.
The deadline for applications is 4pm on 31 July.
Let’s Move Together Fund
The Let's Move Together Fund is available in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Versus Arthritis is distributing grants of up to £5,000 to support people with musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis, to get active.
Organisations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be working to increase the availability of exercise opportunities for people with musculoskeletal conditions in local communities, to help aid recovery from the negative impact of COVID-19 and reduce the widening of inequalities in sport and physical activity.
Applications are particularly welcome from groups who also support people from culturally diverse communities, disabled people, and people from lower socio-economic groups.
The fund is especially interested in supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions which affect 29% of people in Northern Ireland, 33% of people in Scotland and 29% of people in Wales.
For more information about the Together fund, including how organisations can apply, take a look at our inspiring active communities information. If you have any questions, please email physicalactivityva@versusarthritis.org.
The deadline for applications is 4pm on 31 July.
More news from Wales
Cymru Versus Arthritis Young People and Families Service
The Cymru Versus Arthritis Young People and Families Service is organising its first events for 2022.
The Service provides support and advice for young people under the age of 25 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and similar conditions, and their families in Wales.
We aim to ensure that no one feels alone and are planning a variety of face-to-face activity and interactive online sessions, for example, our self-care session, where we discuss self-care tips and techniques, before making bath bombs together.
We provide one to one practical and emotional support. and liaise with schools and further education establishments to ensure needs are being met. Our staff offer support both in clinic settings and informal settings.
We currently support clinics in South Wales and are developing links to Alder Hey and North Wales, to extend our offer of support all over Wales, irrespective of location.
We have developed a free arthritis tracker app for teens and young adults that enables them to have empowering conversations with their healthcare professionals. The app enables users to rate their daily symptoms in seconds and use a body map to pinpoint pain and severity, collated into a simple summary of recent pain, sore joints, medication side effects, activity, sleep and emotions.
We have a particular focus on developing workshops and webinars in conjunction with experts on topics identified by young people including fatigue, managing school and new diagnosis. Please encourage your young patients to self-refer; alternatively, healthcare professionals can make the referral.
You can keep up to date with future events by contacting ypfswales@versusarthritis.org or following our social media pages
Core Skills Trainer Opportunity
Are you a GP in Wales with an interest in MSK medicine and with education delivery experience?
If so, we have a wonderful paid opportunity for you to join Cymru Versus Arthritis as one of our Core Skills Trainers.
Our flagship education programme is RCGP accredited and BSR endorsed, and is aimed at GPs and other primary care professionals involved in diagnosing and supporting patients with MSK conditions.
We offer hybrid training whereby delegates choose a face-to-face full day training session or shorter online digital training. Read more about our healthcare professionals training courses.
If you would like to join a team of dedicated professionals in delivering these education programmes, please email d.welsh@versusarthritis.org for more information.
North Wales Information Event
On 22 March in North Wales, we held our first face to face event in Wales since the beginning of the pandemic. The event comprised of a face-to-face Core Skills workshop for healthcare professionals in North Wales, and an information event for third sector organisations, people living with arthritis and other MSK conditions plus the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
Workshop attendees included GPs, physiotherapists, first contact practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists, podiatrists and emergency doctors.
The information event, attended by 60 people, comprised of 13 stallholders from various third sector organisations in North Wales including Cymru Versus Arthritis, BCUHB, MIND, Lupus UK, ARMA, Woody’s Lodge, North Wales Community Health Council, RSC, Ehlers-Danlos support UK and more.
Cymru Versus Arthritis held sessions of seated Tai-Chi and chair-based exercises. This was well received and a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the support available to people in their local area.
We are now aiming to roll out these dual events across Wales. If you are a healthcare professional in Wales who would like to partake in our free training opportunities, then please email d.welsh@versusarthritis.org to organise both this and the information event alongside.