The Thyroid Trust

    In 2010 I set up a support group in London for thyroid patients which I ran until 2014 and continued to chair for a while after that. When the group was threatened with closure in 2017 they asked for my help to keep going.

     

    Having secured funding, we set up a new charity, The Thyroid Trust, registered charity number 1183292, to provide peer support and reliable information to people affected by thyroid disorders in London and beyond - and to help raise awareness and improve care for thyroid conditions. My role as Director from 2017 to 2022 was to lead the team, organise our programme of events and develop the organisation. I stood down at the end of July 2022 and the charity is now run by a new Director with the the Trustees, a capable Operations Manager and wider volunteer team. I remain a warm supporter and continue to get involved where I can. 

     

    This renains a project which is close to my heart. 

     

    Activities include

    • free events programme, with strong attendances, fantastic speakers and excellent feedback for all that have taken place so far
    • a strong brand identity, fully functioning website and active social media accounts
    • extensive national and regional media coverage 
    • creating a strong trustee board, constitution and full suite of policies and registries
    • active participation as registered stakeholders in the new NICE guidelines for thyroid disorders
    • invitations to attend and speak at other events including the patient symposium at the European Thyroid Association Annual Conference in Newcastle, 2018
    • taking a leading role in producing a major report for the Department of Health and Social Care on access to a particular treatment for hypothyroidism and subsequently working closely with NHS England to support their revision of prescribing guidance for this treatment (liothyronine / L-T3), working with partners including other patient groups and the British Thyroid Association. 

    If you are interested in this work, or if you or someone you know is affected by thyroid disease and you are looking for support, you can find out more on The Thyroid Trust website.

     

    We are incredibly grateful to everyone who is so kindly supporting this project.