What is Take Control?
These are free workshops and weekends for 10-18 year olds with arthritis or related conditions. Find one near you.
Take Control, part of our Young People and Families Service, is a project for 10-18 year olds with arthritis or related conditions. The project includes Joint Creativity - our arts workshops - one day workshops on pain management, sleep, and relationships as well as an activity weekend. Every event is free and travel costs will be covered.
For more information contact: Klaire Connor at k.connor@versusarthritis.org, Young People and Families Manager, Scotland.
If you are interested in signing up for an event contact: Avar Wilson, Av.Wilson@versusarthritis, Young People and Families Worker.
To find out about our project for 16-25 year olds visit our Joint Potential page.
The Workshops
Pain Management
The pain management workshop will help you to understand your pain better, gain new skills to cope with pain and practical tips to help you live better with arthritis.
"Pain management is more than just meds I can do things to help myself"
"I enjoyed it. The topic is interesting, and I feel that I have learnt how to better manage pain."
Sleep Workshop
The sleep workshop looks at what helps you get a good night’s sleep and the barriers to getting a good night’s sleep as well as giving you information to help to improve quality and length of sleep and time to reflect on what works well for you.
"Most people completely misunderstand the importance of sleep to holistic health."
"Come along and learn while having fun with others like you."
CHAT workshop
The C.H.A.T. (Communication, Happiness, Assertiveness and Transition) workshop looks at building confidence and communicating your needs through learning about assertiveness. This year we are focussing on transition from children to adult services.
"It’s nice to have people to talk to that can relate."
"Reminds me I’m not alone and boosts my confidence."
Joint Creativity
Joint Creativity is an art project that gives young people the opportunity to get together and put the ART into ARThritis. During our events there are group activities to create collaborative artworks, and workshops where participants can sculpt, paint, draw and print their own individual pieces and each year we also run a drama workshop.
"It was great fun and very messy (in a good way)"
Following the workshops, all the artwork is curated into a public exhibition called ARThritis, which culminates in a final private viewing where friends and family can come and admire the work. We run four workshops across Scotland and have one exhibition a year. In 2020, we are delivering our workshops a little differently including holding our first ever arts camp residential!
"It makes me feel like I’m not the only one going through arthritis and gets me out of the house and socialising."
The Activity Weekend
Our activity weekend is held at an activity centre. This weekend begins on Friday evening and finishes Sunday afternoon. Like all our events it is relaxed, unpressurised and participants can choose the activities they want to do – from gorge walking to kayaking, archery to abseiling, mountain biking to canoeing. There is always something that each young person is enabled to succeed in.
We stay in comfortable lodges, and there’s usually fun and games, plus a campfire – with marshmallows of course!
"It was such a fun-filled inspirational weekend and a great way to meet lovely, lovely people who have had similar experiences to me regarding arthritis."
"The gorge walking was my favourite – a real challenge. And the abseiling was super scary but gave me a chance to push myself! Thank you so much."
The Self-Care Sleepover
"Very, very, very fun want to do it again"
Our self-care sleepover is a residential weekend event where we talk about what self-care means to us and try some techniques for managing stress and looking after our overall wellbeing. Last year we talked stress management, went for a walk, ate and made delicious food together, practiced gratitude journaling, talked about what works for us and even made our own face masks and pillow sprays! (not obligatory!)
"Enjoyed being able to eat food that we helped make or that was made as a team."
"There is a lot more to self-care than just bubble baths and meditation."
Kids Have A Say
Kids Have A Say (KHAS) is our Children’s Forum. It is a place where young people can tell us what they really think about our events and workshops. They let us know about what they like or don’t like, what they want more of and what they would like less of. We will always take this feedback and use it to improve our events and workshops.
We embed these forum workshops into our events so there's no need to sign up to anything extra in order to take part.
Parent/Carer Sessions
We know that being a parent/carer of someone with arthritis can be challenging. Our sessions for parents/carers run alongside our events to young people and provide you with some of the same learning and information we give to young people so you can support them with that learning beyond our events. It's also great to speak to others going through some of the same experiences and share your learning, get some new ideas and support from others.
Work in Clinics
We work in clinics across Scotland to support you and work with your healthcare teams. You will find us in Glasgow, Fife and Aberdeen on a regular basis.
For any questions about our work in clinics contact Klaire Connor at k.connor@versusarthritis.org, Young People and Families Manager, Scotland.