Week Ending 5th June

Brynmor

On 2nd June Versus Arthritis updated the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and arthritis - where to go for information section of the website. This reflected the changes in advice made across the 4 nations of the United Kingdom and the subsequent information published.

Additional information regarding Shielding continues to appear and it is well worth checking for the latest news.

1. When Will The Public Toilets Be Open?

Surprisingly, the subject of "when will the disabled toilets be open" has been taken up by newspapers. Helpfully, the Guardian newspaper  want to know how the public is coping without them and how newly re-opened facilities are dealing with physical distancing and are running a survey to map what is happening generally across the UK.

Do join in as this is actually a really useful piece of information we all need.

2. Telling your employer about your Arthritis

Do share your experiences about letting your employer know about your condition on this very interesting thread started by @thembrown

• When did you tell your employer?
• Did you wish you did this earlier, or even before your started?
• Should I tell them now - and if so do I tell HR or my manager?

3. Thank you to our volunteers

To mark Volunteers’ Week we want to say thank you to our volunteers across the UK. This year, we’re facing challenges we never could have imagined with the outbreak of COVID-19.

Despite the uncertainty, our committed volunteers have continued to provide support locally to people impacted by arthritis. From making the most of technology by sending email updates, connecting on social media and picking up the phone to check in and see how people are feeling. 

This contact has been vital, especially as all of our face-to-face services have been cancelled for the foreseeable future and many people are isolating or shielding.

Here we share the stories from some of our volunteers. Your time, experience, empathy and kindness is so important. A heartfelt thanks to all of our volunteers and a massive thankyou to all our Volunteer Moderators at the Online Community. We couldn't do this without you!

4. Online Community Tip - Advanced Search

Promoting our article here about using the Search facility we have on the Community. It is well worth checking what has been posted over the years by our fabulous members to see if your question has been asked before 😃

Stay safe and stay well.

Brynmor