Scotland

What we do

Scotland Versus Arthritis is here to make sure that people with arthritis have all the support and information they need to live well with their condition, as well as to ensure the needs of people with arthritis are a priority with policymakers in Scotland.

We run several different services for people of all ages with arthritis, ranging from activity classes for young people to practical support for those with arthritis looking to remain in work or get back into work.

Local branches and groups

Our branches and support groups offer friendship, fun, information, and a chance to meet other people who know what it is like to live with arthritis and similar conditions.

Use the search function to find a branch or group near you.

Living Well with Arthritis

We support people living with arthritis or any other long-term medical condition to get active and stay active, in order to live well with your condition.

Evidence shows that physical activity is good for us, even when we have a long-term condition like arthritis. Regular physical activity has many benefits and helps us to remain well for longer and manage our pain more effectively.

Our Living Well programme is designed to bring people together to support each other and improve our health, through self-management and physical activity.

If you would like to join one of our physical activity sessions, full details of our current opportunities and how to register can be found in our registration forms below:

Versus Arthritis – Tai Chi Registration Form

Versus Arthritis – Qi Gong Registration Form

Versus Arthritis – Seated Yoga Registration Form

Our forms will be updated regularly to reflect new sessions across Scotland, so please be sure to check periodically for future opportunities within your area.

If you wish to find out more or require support with the registration process, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Scotland Delivery team via email (livewell@versusarthritis.org) or by calling us on 0141 251 0300.

Our service

Your doctor and NHS health professionals will be working with you to ensure your condition is under control.

The Working Well service aims to complement this by providing you with information, guidance and signposting to help you stay in work or return to the workplace. Working well can provide support for you as well as for employers to help them provide the best support for their employees. Find out more information about our Working Well service here.

Volunteers

To volunteer for an organisation is to give the invaluable gift of time and at Versus Arthritis our volunteers play a vital role in raising funds and raising awareness about the pain of arthritis. We couldn't operate without them. All of our services are delivered or supported by our amazing volunteers, and there are opportunities to get involved in campaigning, fundraising, take part in events or even organise your own. Volunteering is at the very heart of Versus Arthritis and it is thanks to the hard work, enthusiasm and commitment of volunteers, that we can support millions of people living with arthritis every year.

We have several volunteering opportunities available across Scotland and provide all the necessary training and support that will help you feel part of our organisation and equipped to perform your role. As a volunteer, we will support you to learn new skills, meet new people and help you increase your confidence and self-esteem. Many of our volunteers live with arthritis and related conditions, which means together we can deliver a quality service, and help you to enhance your self-management skills.

Please get in touch with the Scotland Office to find out more on 0141 954 7776 or livewell@versusarthritis.org.

Young People and Families

Our Young People and Families service offers a range of services to support young people and their families. We encourage young people to get together for a variety of fun activity and discussion-based events across Scotland.

Around 15,000 children and young people in the UK have some form of arthritis. It can be challenging to be a parent of a child with arthritis, and it can be isolating and difficult for children and teenagers to grow up with the condition.

Joint Potential: a programme of residential weekends and one day workshops for young people with arthritis or related conditions aged between 16-25 years. Weekends include our Activity Weekend, Self-Image, Positive Future, Good Relationships and Moving On, Moving Up. This programme is supported by the Scottish Government Self-Management Fund administered by the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland.

We are delighted to bring forward this Joint Potential - 2016-2021 evaluation report (PDF, 2.1 MB), highlighting the work of the Joint Potential Plus project, working in partnership with young people with arthritis and their rheumatology clinicians over the last 5 years.

Joint Potential has supported young people with arthritis across Scotland for over ten years, working hard to deliver high-quality self-management support by securing small trust awards and valued donations, but we wanted to do so much more, to plan beyond a years’ funding and establish the long-term partnerships so vital to achieve meaningful change.

Any questions or for more information on the Joint Potential Programme then please email Klaire Connor, k.connor@versusarthritis.org.

Take Control: a project for 10-18-year olds, supported by Children in Need. It includes Joint Creativity, which is our arts project, one-day personal development workshops on sleep and pain management as well as an activity weekend. You can also tell us what you think through our Kids Have a Say forum which meets three times a year.

Arthritis Awareness: a workshop delivered in schools to help raise awareness of the condition and its effects, particularly in children.

For more information about the service please contact: Klaire Connor (k.connor@versusarthritis.org), Young People and Families Services Programme Manager.

For more information on Joint Potential please contact jointpotential@versusarthritis.org, or for more information on Take Control please takecontrol@versusarthritis.org.

Arthritis Tracker: A mobile app for teens and young adults

Created with young people for young people, Arthritis Tracker lets you rate your symptoms in seconds and see a simple summary of your recent pain, sore joints, medication side effects, energy levels, activity, sleep and emotions. You can use these summaries to help you talk to your healthcare professionals at medical appointments or simply to see how you have been doing recently. Download the app here.

Connecting with us online

Please join us on social media to keep in touch with what we are doing:

Facebook:

• @ScotlandVersusArthritis
• @TooYoungforArthritisScotland

Twitter:

• @ScotVArthritis

Instagram:

• @JointPotential
• @TakeControl
• @JointCreativity

Campaigns

To help improve the lives of people living with arthritis, we need to ensure that your voice is heard by the people and institutions that can make a real difference. Lobbying the Scottish Government to fund essential services, organising locally to keep much needed facilities open or raising awareness of the needs of people with arthritis in the workplace - Scotland Versus Arthritis will campaign at all levels and across all fronts to deliver what people with arthritis in Scotland need.

• Campaigning gives a voice to your experience.
• Campaigning leads to real change: resources; services; rights.
• Campaigning challenges stigma and prejudice.

That is why our campaigning work is so important and why we need your help to make it more effective.

You can find out more about our UK-wide campaigns on our dedicated campaign pages and join our Campaign Network to keep updated.

Contact us

Edward House
199 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow
G2 3EX
scotland@versusarthritis.org
0141 954 7776